^^j:SSlFfi5fJ^, 


>^WlC4L  S^ 


rV  3445 

,N7 

_ 

vcss,  Christ 

.  c  ^  :.  r  _ 

z  . 

—  ^   w  Z 

Trhoku, 

the 

Scotl 

and 

of 

Japan 

Date  Masamune,  Founder  of  Sendai 


'UN  18  19] 


TOHOKU     ^.«,s»v 

THE  SCOTLAND  OF  JAPAN 


BY 

Christopher  Noss 

AND  Associates  of  the  Tohoku  Mission 


Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania 


Copyright,  191 8,  by 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions 

Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States 


DEDICATED 


TO   THE    YOUNG     PEOPLE    OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH    IN    THE    UNITED 

STATES    AND   TO   ALL   WHOSE    HEARTS    ARE    YOUNG    ENOUGH 

TO    RECEIVE    A    FRESH     IMPRESSION    AND 

RESPOND   TO   A    NEW   APPEAL. 


FOREWORD 

The  authors  of  this  little  book  are  members  of  the 
Japan  Mission  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States,  which  is  usually  called  by  the  Japanese  'The  To- 
hoku  Mission." 

These  missionaries,  engaged  in  a  work  that  taxes  their 
energies  to  the  utmost,  hitherto  have  not  been  able  to 
attend  to  publicit>\  No  one  has  had  the  leisure  to  learn 
aU  that  is  happening  on  the  field  or  to  describe  the  situa- 
tion so  as  to  make  it  intelligible  to  Americans.  By 
request,  material  has  now  been  gathered  and  entrusted  to 
a  member  on  furlough  in  America,  with  the  understanding 
that  he  edit  it  with  a  free  hand. 

The  work  of  this  Mission  began  in  1879  in  Tokyo  and 
in  the  rural  district  immediately  to  the  north  of  that  city. 
Since  1885  Providence  has  led  the  workers  to  concentrate 
their  resources  on  North  Japan. 

Description  is  limited  to  impressions  received  in  the 
North  because  this  is  the  only  part  of  the  Empire  that 
the  writers  know  well  and  because  this  region  is  usually 
passed  over  in  general  works  on  the  countrv*.  Occasion- 
ally there  is  a  reference  to  conditions  in  Tokyo,  because 
that  great  metropolis  has  an  intimate  relation  to  the 
North,  and  because  the  work  of  the  Mission  is  still  con- 
tinued there. 

When  the  denomination  is  not  stated  it  is  understood 
that  the  church  or  worker  to  whom  reference  is  made 


6  Foreword 

belongs    to    the   Japanese    Reformed   (or    Presbyterian) 
Church  (Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai). 

The  committee  in  charge  of  the  preparation  of  the  book 
consists  of  Christopher  Noss,  William  G.  Seiple,  and  Carl 
D.  Kriete.  Responsibility  for  the  final  form  of  the  state- 
ments belongs  to  the  first-named.  Thanks  are  due  to 
Rev.  Dr.  William  E.  Lampe,  Rev.  Albert  S.  Bromer, 
Rev.  Dr.  Allen  R.  Bartholomew,  and  Mr.  John  H.  Poor- 
man,  of  Philadelphia,  and  to  Mrs.  Jesse  H.  String,  of 
Cleveland,  for  aid  in  arranging  and  adapting  the  material. 


CONTENTS 

Page 

I  A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People 15 

II  Old  Ways  and  New  Laws 45 

III  Many  Gods 77 

IV  Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness iii 

V  The  American  Missionary  at  Work 149 

VI  Training  Christian  Leaders 185 

VII  Fostering  Infant  Churches 221 

VIII  The  Call  of  Tohoku 257 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Date-Masamune Frontispiece 

Our  Field  in  North  Japan 12 

Map  of  Japan  Compared  with  the  Eastern  United  States 13 

Seashore  at  Matsukawaura 16 

Tadami  River  at  Yanaizu 16 

Winter  at  Ojiya 17 

Woman  Traveling  in  Winter 17 

Ainu  in  a  Village  in  Hokkaido 24 

Ainu  Visiting  a  Public  School  in  Sendai 24 

Planting,  Reaping  and  Flailing  Rice 25 

Gathering  Mulberry  Leaves 32 

Feeding  Silkworms 32 

Airing  the  Cocoons 33 

Storing  the  Cocoons 32 

Wakamatsu  Castle  after  the  Siege  of  1868 52 

Tombs  of  Feudal  Lords,  Wakamatsu 52 

Serving  Tea  in  the  Parlor 53 

Cooking  Dinner  in  the  Kitchen 53 

Shinto  Shrine  at  Omiya 80 

Shinto  Priest  at  Takada 80 

Buddhist  Temple  near  Yamagata 81 

Buddhist  Ancestral  Shrine 100 

Buddhist  Family  Altar 100 

Jizo,  Friend  of  Children loi 

Fudo,  Healer  of  Disease loi 

Christian  Leaders  Who  Have  Influenced  Tohoku 118 

Types  of  Christian  Faces 119 

Nibancho  Church  and  Theological  Seminary,  Sendai 128 

Fukushima  Church  and  Sunday  School 129 

A  Missionary  Residence,  Sendai 152 

A  Missionary  Residence  Interior  (Dr.  and  Mrs.  De  Forest) 153 

9 


lo  Illustrations 

A  Page  from  a  Child's  Reader ; .  i6o 

A  Sentence  from  the  Japanese  Bible  Written  in  Five  Styles i6i 

Yamagata  City i68 

A  Business  Street  in  Yamagata i68 

Rev.  H.  H.  Cook  on  the  Road 169 

Rev.  C.  D.  Kriete  in  a  Hotel 169 

North  Japan  College 190 

College  Alumni  with  President  Schneder 191 

Fencing  and  Wrestling 198 

A  Teacher  of  Gymnastics  Practising  Archery 199 

Miyagi  Girls  School 214 

Girls  School  Alumnae  with  Principal  Faust 215 

Group  of  Evangelists 236 

Group  of  Bible  Women 236 

A  Church  and  Congregation,  lizaka 237 

A  Homeless  Congregation,  Kitakata 237 

Sunday  School,  Taira 252 

Sunday  School,  Kitakata 252 

Kindergarten,  Yamagata 253 

Kindergarten,  Miharu 253 

Coal  Mine,  Taira 268 

Zinc  Mine,  Kitakata 268 

A  Christian  Manufacturer  with  His  Family,  Nagaoka 269 

A  Christian  Manufacturer  in  His  Garden,  Kawamata 269 


HINTS  ON  THE  PRONUNCIATION   OF  JAPANESE  WORDS 

I.  Vowels   are   pronounced   as   in    continental   European   languages 
(German,  Italian,  etc.),  thus: 
a  as  in  arm 
e  as  in  they 
i  as  in  pique 
0  as  in  old 
u  as  in  rude 
1.  Consonants  are  pronounced  as  in  English. 

3.  Japanese  words  are  composed  of  simple  syllables,  each  of  which  is 
a  vowel,  or  a  vowel  preceded  by  a  consonant;  for  example,  a-na-ta  (you), 
sa-mu-ra-i  (knight),  to-ri-i  (portal).  Naturally  a  combination  like  ra-i 
coalesces  so  as  to  sound  like  the  English  "rye."  Many  words  of  Chinese 
origin,  such  as  kan,  keriy  kiriy  kon^  kurty  seem  to  be  syllables  having  a  conso- 
nant at  the  end;  but  these  are  only  apparent  exceptions.  To  the  ear  of 
a  Japanese  a  final  w  is  a  syllable  in  itself,  and  it  is  so  sounded  in  singing. 

4.  In  the  English  language  the  vowels  are  sacrificed  to  the  accent;  for 
example,  the  second  e  in  "recent"  is  scarcely  sounded  at  all.  But  in 
the  Japanese  the  vowels  are  not  so  modified;  they  always  retain  their 
original  values,  and  they  govern  the  accent.  There  are  strong  vowels 
(a,  e,  0),  and  weak  ones  (/,  «).  Do  not  put  any  stress  on  an  i  or  a  «. 
Do  not  say  kim-o-no;  say  ki-mo-no.  Most  Americans'  mistakes  are  due 
to  disregard  of  this  rule. 

5.  Where  double  consonants  appear,  as  in  gakko  (school),  each  is  to 
be  pronounced  distinctly.  This  word  is  properly  ga-ku-ko;  but  the  u 
is  elided  because  it  is  hardly  sounded  between  the  two  k's.  Hold  the 
first  k  a  second  and  then  sound  the  other  k. 


Field_  in  North  Japan 


MAP  OF  JflPRN  COMPARED  WITH  THE  EfiSTERN  UNITED  STATES, 

The  areas  and  latitudes  are  correct;  longitudes  only  are  changed. 
Our  Reformed  Field  is  Shaded. 


'  ,  *CLtVCLANO    '  V~ 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People 


A  HARDY  AND  INDUSTRIOUS  PEOPLE  ; 

Introduction:  -' 

1.  Tohoku  Defined.  ; 

2.  Why   Compared  with  Scotland. 

3.  Sendai  the  Metropolis  of  the  North.  1 

4.  Seldom  Visited  and  Little  Known.  \ 

A.  Climate:  Snow,  Cold,  Dampness,  Floods.  j 

B.  Land:  Earthquakes,  Volcanoes,  Hot  Springs,  Scenic  Beauty,  Rapid      | 

Erosion,  Fertility  i 

C.  People:  ^ 

1.  The  Aboriginal  Ainu,  Related  to  Ancient  Europeans.  ] 

2.  Origin  of  the  Japanese,  a  Mixture  of  Races.  | 

D.  Food:  \ 

1.  Two  Acres  to  the  Family,  Danger  of  Famine.  i 

2.  A  Peculiar  Diet.  i 

3.  Rice,  Its  Cultivation  in  the  North,  Preparation  for  the  Table. 

4.  Accessories:  Use  of  Beans,  Luxuries  from  Ocean  and  Moun-      , 

tain,     Growing  Use  of  Fruits,  1 

5.  Menace  of  Hunger  Overcome.  , 

E.  Ancient  Industries:  ] 

1.  Silk,  Its  Importance,  Production,  Manufacture.  ^ 

2.  Lacquering  or  Japanning.  i 

3.  Hardware.  ' 

F.  Modern  Industries:                                                       _           _  ; 

1.  Exploitation  of  Women  in  Mines  and  Factories,  Disastrous      j 

Results,  A  Christian  Woman's  Indignation. 

2.  Exploitation  of  Men  by  Contractors,  Many  Deaths,  A  Chris-      ! 

tian  Man's  Indignation,  Awakening  of  the  Public.  ! 

3.  Government  Favoring   the  Employers. 

A  New  Moral  Motive  Needed.  I 


Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 


I. 

A  HARDY  AND  INDUSTRIOUS  PEOPLE 

Tohoku.  North  Japan  is  by  the  Japanese  themselves 
called  Tohoku,  which  means  "Northeast."  Since  the 
main  island  is  shaped  like  a  bent  bow,  one  end  pointing 
northward  and  the  other  westward>  to  those  who  live  in 
Central  or  Southern  Japan,  Tohoku  lies  to  the  northeast. 

A  Country  Like  Scotland.  Japan  is  often  called 
"The  Britain  of  the  East."  We  may,  therefore,  prop- 
erly compare  Tohoku  to  Scotland,  the  northern  end  of  the 
largest  of  the  British  Isles,  as  Tohoku  is  the  northern  end 
of  the  largest  island  of  Nippon.  The  two  countries  have 
the  same  relative  position  and  they  are  equal  in  area  (about 
30,000  square  miles).  From  north  to  south  the  length  of 
Tohoku  is  about  300  miles  and  the  width  averages  about 
100. 

A  People  Like  the  Scotch.  Our  chief  reason  for 
making  the  comparison  is  the  desire  to  call  attention  to 
the  fact  that  as  the  Scotch  differ  from  the  English,  the 
people  of  Tohoku  are  considerably  different  from  the 
Japanese  of  the  Southwest.  The  dialect  is  peculiar. 
The  older  and  less  educated  people  of  the  North  use  a 
form  of  the  Japanese  language  that  is  more  or  less  unin- 

15 


1 6  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

telliglble  in  other  parts  of  the  Empire.  And  there  is  a 
profound  psychological  difference  between  the  northern- 
ers and  the  southerners.  The  great  historian  Rai  Sanyo 
characterized  the  northerners  as  sluggish  and  boorish. 
We  Americans  in  contrasting  them  with  the  southerners 
prefer  to  be  more  complimentary  and  call  them  compara- 
tively steadfast  and  honest.  However  that  may  be,  all 
are  agreed  that  they  are  somewhat  different  from  Jap- 
anese of  the  familiar  type. 

Sendai,  the  Strategic  Center.  The  west  side  of 
Tohoku  being  covered  with  deep  snow  a  large  part  of  the 
year,  the  main  route  of  traffic  is  naturally  on  the  east  side, 
following  two  great  rivers,  between  the  central  range  of 
mountains  and  a  coast-range,  one  (the  Abukuma)  flowing 
northward  and  the  other  (the  Kitakami)  flowing  south- 
ward, to  reach  the  sea  at  points  near  the  middle  of  the 
east  coast.  Between  the  mouths  of  the  two  rivers  lies 
the  great  plain  of  Miyagi  and  on  the  edge  of  this  plain 
the  city  of  Sendai.  From  this  description  it  may  easily 
be  inferred  why  the  position  of  Sendai  is  strategic.  It  is 
the  point  from  which  in  ancient  times  the  North  could 
be  most  readily  controlled. 

Seldom  Visited  by  Travelers.  This  section  of  Ja- 
pan is  comparatively  unknown  to  Americans.  The  only 
resident  ''foreigners"  are  a  few  score  missionaries  and 
teachers,  and  the  only  visitors  from  abroad  are  some  who 
come  to  view  the  noted  scenery  of  Matsushima,  near 
Sendai,  or  the  volcano,  Mt.  Bandai,  near  Wakamatsu, 
and  a  few  experts  who  have  to  do  with  mines,  manufac- 
tures or  hydro-electric  enterprises.  Since  the  Japanese 
islands  lie  approximately  on  the  great  circle  line,  which 
is  the  shortest  route  between  America  and  China,  there  is 


The  Seashore  at  Matsukawaura  near  Nakamura 


Tadami  River  at  Yanaizu  near  Wakamatsu 
(At  this  point  the  water  is  beheved  to  be  bottomless  and  the  fish 
are  supposed  to  embody  souls  of  the  departed  in  hades.) 


Winter  at  Ojiya,  Niigata  Ken 


Woman  Travelling  on  Skiis 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  17 

a  great  deal  of  traffic  to  and  fro  on  the  world-highway 
marked  by  the  southern  ports,  Yokohama,  Kobe  and  Na- 
gasaki. These  ports  are  thronged  by  the  pale  people  of 
the  west.  Tohoku  has  had  no  convenient  harbor  for 
large  vessels.  Soon  there  will  be  one  in  the  vicinity  of 
Sendai,  a  breakwater  being  in  process  of  construction  at 
the  entrance  to  Matsushima  Bay.  But  hitherto  North 
Japan  has  not  been  in  touch  with  the  currents  of  the 
world's  life  as  South  Japan  has  been.  Not  to  speak  now 
of  the  fact  that  industrially  Tohoku  has  lagged  behind 
the  rest  of  the  empire,  it  is  enough  for  our  present  purpose 
to  note  that  this  region  is  unknown  to  most  of  those  who 
in  speeches  and  books  have  described  Japan  to  the  west- 
ern nations.  And  yet,  as  steamers  go,  Tohoku  is  nearer 
to  America  by  one  day's  journey  than  Yokohama,  the 
nearest  of  the  southern  ports. 

Americans'  Wrong  Impressions.  It  is  astonishing 
what  currency  has  been  given  in  America  to  globe-trot- 
ters' chatter  about  Japan,  the  Japan  in  which  it  is  always 
warm  and  pleasant  and  children  in  gaudy  costumes 
sport  among  the  blossoms  and  butterflies.  **In  Japan 
the  children  never  cry."  *Tn  Japan  the  people  are  so 
careless  about  money  that  Chinese  have  to  be  hired  to 
run  their  banks."  The  protests  of  a  thousand  missionaries 
who  know  Japan  have  not  availed  to  put  an  end  to  silly 
tales  like  these.  Japan,  especially  Tohoku,  is  very  dif- 
ferent from  what  99  per  cent  of  the  American  people 
imagine.  Most  Japanese  get  their  impressions  of  America 
from  relatives  or  acquaintances  who  have  visited  Hawaii 
or  California.  Accordingly  they  imagine  that  we  have 
perpetual  summer  in  America.  When  it  begins  to  snow 
in  Tohoku   the   new  missionary   from   Pennsylvania   is 


1 8  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

daily  greeted  with  the  remark,  "This  must  be  a  strange 
experience  for  you.'*  In  like  manner  it  surprises  most 
Americans  to  hear  that  it  snows  in  Japan. 

Snow  Every  Day  in  Winter.  The  fact  is  that  Tohoku 
is  overwhelmed  by  snow  a  large  part  of  the  year.  The 
coldest  spot  on  earth  is  not  the  north  pole,  but  somewhere 
in  eastern  Siberia,  and  winds  from  this  region  blow  over 
North  Japan  all  winter  long.  From  early  December  to 
late  March  the  daily  papers'  forecast  for  Tohoku  is  in- 
variably and  monotonously  "northwest  winds  and  snow." 
On  all  the  western  slopes  that  face  Siberia  it  snows  more 
or  less  every  day  for  three  months  in  the  year,  with  very 
few  exceptions.  The  ordinary  American  can  hardly 
imagine  what  a  plague  this  snow  is.  Our  new  missionary 
station,  Wakamatsu,  lies  in  a  basin  just  west  of  the  ridge 
of  mountains  that  make  the  backbone  of  Japan.  The 
following  is  an  account  of  the  winter  of  1 916-17 : 

Snow  Four  Feet  Deep.  "The  winter  was  late  and  at 
Christmas  the  streets  were  still  dry.  Three  days  later 
the  snow  was  from  three  to  four  feet  deep.  The  ground 
was  unfrozen,  and  the  snow  melted  rapidly  from  beneath, 
but  it  remained  at  a  depth  of  four  feet,  more  or  less,  until 
the  end  of  February.  Our  railroad  was  blocked  nine  times 
in  three  months  and  as  a  rule  it  remained  blocked  until 
the  morning  of  the  third  day  after  the  storm  began. 

Avalanches.  "At  Wakamatsu  the  snow  was  compara- 
tively light.  All  about  us  it  was  much  deeper.  On  the 
railroad  down  to  Niigata  the  snow  was  from  eight  to  ten 
feet  deep  on  the  level,  and  traffic  was  suspended  much  of 
the  time.  At  one  point  a  huge  avalanche  fifteen  feet 
high  and  three  hundred  feet  broad  bowled  a  train  over 
and  buried  it  in  debris  that  filled  the  river  and  covered 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  19 

ground  on  the  other  side.  When  a  gang  of  laborers 
attempted  to  dig  the  train  out,  the  avalanche  moved 
again  and  more  people  were  killed. 

Tunneling  the  Snow.  "When  the  snow  becomes 
deep  it  is  necessary  to  unload  roofs  to  prevent  the  collapse 
of  the  houses.  In  some  places  the  streets  and  the  spaces 
between  the  houses  are  filled  up  to  the  eaves.  People 
dig  steps  from  their  front  doors  up  to  the  surface  and  other 
steps  down  to  the  stream  from  which  they  get  their  water. 
In  some  cases  tunnels  and  burrows  are  made  and  people 
go  about  under  the  surface  like  moles." 

A  Hindrance  to  Travel.  In  the  plain  the  snow  disap- 
pears by  the  first  of  April.  In  some  villages  among  the 
mountains  drifts  lie  on  the  road  until  early  May,  and  in 
late  September  fresh  snow  falls.  Among  these  mountains 
is  a  large  valley  that  might  be  made  to  support  a  consider- 
able population.  It  has  never  been  thoroughly  explored, 
on  account  of  the  dense  undergrowth  in  summer  and  the 
deep  snow  in  winter. 

Snow  Deepest  in  Echigo.  At  some  places  in  Echigo 
(which  is  the  same  as  Niigata  Prefecture)  the  snow  is 
said  to  reach  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet  on  the  level.  Villages 
are  buried  out  of  sight  and  coolies  carrying  freight  take 
short  cuts  over  the  roofs  of  the  houses.  It  is  remarkable 
that  these  heavy  snows  occur  in  a  country  whose  latitude 
is  the  same  as  that  of  Virginia  in  the  United  States  or  of 
Tunis  in  North  Africa. 

Colder  on  the  East  Coast.  The  bitter  winds  that 
bring  these  snows,  having  unloaded  most  of  their  moisture, 
glide  with  increasing  velocity  down  the  eastern  slopes  to 
the  Pacific.  Places  on  the  east  side,  like  Sendai,  have 
comparatively  little  snow,  but  the  wind  is  sharper  than 


20  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

on  the  west  side  where  the  snow  falls  deeper.  The  dis- 
tance between  Wakamatsu  and  the  junction  Koriyama, 
which  lies  just  east  of  the  ridge,  is  only  twenty-five  miles 
(thirty-nine  by  rail),  but  often  when  the  streets  are  dry 
and  the  weather  fair  in  Koriyama,  over  in  Aizu  the  people 
are  struggling  with  blizzards. 

A  Damp  Climate.  The  climate  is  oceanic  and  damp. 
For  this  reason  both  the  cold  and  the  heat  are  harder  to 
bear  than  the  same  temperatures  in  America.  The  cold 
of  winter  penetrates  to  the  marrow  through  all  thicknesses 
of  flannels.  On  the  other  hand  the  summer  is  hot,  sultry 
and  enervating,  particularly  in  the  rainy  season,  which 
begins  in  June,  about  the  time  the  chestnut-trees  bloom, 
and  continues  through  most  of  July,  and  sometimes  into 
August.  Another  long  rainy  spell  may  be  expected  in 
September.  A  "Scotch  mist,"  a  very  fine  rain,  is  blown 
through  the  houses.  The  dampness  is  suffocating.  The 
air  reeks  with  germs.  Books  are  ruined  and  one's  shoes 
grow  a  variegated  crop  of  mold  over  night. 

Sudden  Floods.  Japan  lies  on  the  track  of  the  ty- 
phoons, cyclonic  storms  with  fearful  winds,  that  originate 
in  overheated  southern  Asia.  These  storms  often  do 
immense  mischief  both  directly  and  by  bringing  on  floods. 
The  floods  are  the  more  severe  because  the  mountains 
are  so  numerous  and  steep.  On  the  other  hand  in  dry 
weather  many  of  the  river-beds  are  waterless. 

A  Volcanic  Land.  Geologically,  Japan  is  of  recent 
formation,  and  the  mountains  are  not  worn  down  by 
erosion  as  in  America.  The  soil  in  the  valleys  which  is 
level  enough  to  be  cultivated,  amounts  to  but  one-sixth 
of  the  area  of  the  land,  and  annually  large  parts  of  the 
fields  in  these  valleys  are  ruined  by  the  floods.     Enormous 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  21 

amounts  of  labor  and  money  are  expended  in  efforts  to 
control  the  rivers  by  means  of  dikes. 

A  Great  Earthquake.  Further,  Japan,  lying  as  it 
does  on  the  border  between  the  earth's  largest  continent 
and  greatest  oceanic  depression,  is  volcanic  and  especially 
subject  to  earthquakes.  The  greatest  depth  ever  found 
in  any  of  the  world's  oceans,  the  Tuscarora  Depth,  is  in 
the  Pacific  a  short  distance  east  of  Tohoku.  It  was  no 
doubt  some  disturbance  on  the  edge  of  this  abyss  that 
caused  the  great  earthquake  and  tidal  waves  of  1897. 
Our  buildings  at  Sendai  were  violently  shaken  and  broken, 
while  on  the  coasts  of  the  prefectures  Miyagi  and  Iwate 
enormous  waves,  intensified  especially  where  they  entered 
narrowing  inlets  of  the  sea,  swept  to  sudden  destruction 
about  30,ocxD  of  the  inhabitants  in  the  villages  along  the 
shore. 

A  Vicious  Volcano.  The  most  noted  volcano  in 
Tohoku  is  Bandai,  near  Wakamatsu.  This  mountain 
had  been  quiet  for  a  thousand  years  until  one  day  in  1888, 
when  a  great  part  of  its  mass  was  blown  off  toward  the 
north  for  a  distance  of  six  miles,  overwhelming  a  number 
of  villages  in  the  sparsely  inhabited  country  beneath,  and 
killing  40c  peasants.  The  avalanche  of  mud  and  rocks 
dammed  the  Nagase  river  and  formed  several  new  lakes, 
the  largest  of  which,  named  Hibara,  is  eight  miles  long 
and  one  mile  wide. 

Hot  Springs.  It  is  due  to  the  volcanic  character  of 
the  land  that  hot  springs  are  to  be  found  almost  anywhere. 
It  may  be  because  they  are  so  numerous  that  the  Japanese 
as  a  race  have  acquired  the  habit  of  immersing  themselves 
in  hot  water  every  day,  if  possible.  Certain  springs  are 
reputed  to  cure  various  diseases  and  are  thronged  as  was 


22  Tohoku,  the  Scotlahd  of  Japan 

the  pool  of  Bethesda.  The  cures  that  occur  are  due  partly 
to  the  cleansing  and  relaxing  effect  upon  the  body  and 
partly  to  the  presence  of  dissolved  minerals,  particularly 
radium. 

Shifting  Soil.  The  erosion  of  volcanic  ejecta  goes  on 
very  rapidly.  Since  1888  the  Nagase  river  has  cut  out  of 
the  debris  of  the  explosion  of  Bandai  a  gorge  100  feet  deep. 
It  further  results  from  these  conditions  that  in  many 
places  the  soil  is  loose  and  unstable  and  landslides  are 
very  common.  Builders  of  roads,  particularly  railroads, 
which  largely  follow  the  courses  of  the  rivers,  have  to 
meet  extraordinary  difficulties.  Tracks  that  are  level 
and  straight  today  mysteriously  become  crooked  and  un- 
even over  night. 

A  Land  Worth  Having.  But  soil  of  volcanic  origin 
is  fertile.  Though  the  people  have  but  little  arable  soil 
and  must  struggle  against  the  forces  of  nature  to  keep 
what  they  have,  the  land  produces  abundantly  and  is 
well  worth  the  struggle.  It  was  desirable  enough  to  be  a 
bone  of  fierce  contention  some  hundreds  of  years  ago  be- 
tween the  aboriginal  Ainu  and  the  people  of  Yamato 
who  invaded  it  from  the  south. 

First  Inhabitants.  The  Ainu  are  to  the  Japanese 
what  the  Indians  are  to  the  Americans.  Originally  oc- 
cupying all  parts  of  the  islands,  they  were  pushed  to  the 
wall  by  a  stronger  race  that  relied  on  agriculture  more 
than  on  hunting  and  fishing,  and  used  superior  weapons. 
Evidence  has  been  found  in  the  south  by  Dr.  Munro 
that  refuges  of  the  defeated  aborigines  were  caves  and 
holes  in  the  earth.  They  burrowed  narrow  passages 
through  which  their  enemies  dared  not  follow  them,  and 
lived  in  rooms  under  the  ground  with  vents  hidden  by 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  23 

bushes  in  the  mountains.  Today  they  may  be  found 
only  in  the  northern  islands.  They  have  dwindled  to  less 
than  18,000  persons  all  told.  Archdeacon  Batchelor  of 
the  Church  Missionary  Society,  who  has  spent  his  life 
among  them,  says:  **The  race  is  undoubtedly  a  very  old 
one  and  is  worn  out;  it  has  kept  very  much  to  itself;  its 
vitality  has  gone,  owing  in  great  measure  to  marriages  of 
affinity." 

Defeated  by  Japanese.  In  the  middle  ages  of  Jap- 
anese history  Tohoku  was  the  battle  ground  between  the 
Ainu  and  the  men  of  Yamato,  who  called  their  enemies 
Emishi,  Ebisu  or  Ezo.  Numerous  caves,  the  so-called 
Ezo-holes,  remind  the  traveler  through  Tohoku  of  its 
former  inhabitants,  while  Ainu  names  are  as  common  on 
the  map  as  Indian  names  on  a  map  of  our  country.  An 
American  who  has  lived  among  the  Japanese,  on  meeting 
some  of  the  Ainu  and  looking  into  their  faces,  feels  as  if  he 
were  meeting  distant  relatives  from  Europe.  And  such 
in  fact  the  Ainu  are.  They  are  a  branch  of  the  race  to 
which  belonged  the  ancient  cave-dwellers  of  Europe. 

Origin  of  the  Japanese.  Dr.  Munro  is  of  the  opin- 
ion that  the  Japanese  are  not  predominantly  Mongolian. 
They  are  a  mixed  race,  the  main  stock,  the  one  that 
brought  the  language,  having  come  apparently,  as  the 
Ainu  had  come  before  them,  by  way  of  Manchuria  and 
Korea,  and  probably  from  the  Caspian  region,  while 
another  potent  strain,  the  Malayan,  came  by  sea  from  the 
south.  Dr.  Boas,  Professor  of  Anthropology  at  Columbia 
University,  says:  "The  Japanese  of  the  northern  part  of 
Japan  are  undoubtedly  to  a  considerable  extent  Ainu  in 
blood." 

A  Mixed  Race.     Accordingly  the  original  components 


24  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

of  the  present  Japanese  race  appear  to  be  very  diverse. 
There  is  a  remarkable  variety  in  physique  and  features. 
At  the  same  time  it  must  be  remembered  that  Japan  was 
cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  world  from  1638  to  1853,  so 
that  there  has  been  a  complete  amalgamation,  and  the 
race  is  now  homogeneous  to  a  degree  hardly  paralleled  by 
any  other  great  nation.  It  is  dangerous  to  generalize  in 
attempting  to  compare  North  and  South,  but  we  may 
venture  the  remark  that  the  emotional  and  unstable 
Malayan  element  is  not  so  manifest  in  Tohoku  as  in  other 
parts.  We  refer  to  these  facts  because  they  have  a  bear- 
ing upon  missionary  work.  We  have  to  do  with  a  vigor- 
ous people,  of  a  rich,  varied  heredity,  schooled  by  a  hard 
environment  and  capable  of  development  in  almost  any 
direction. 

Having  broken  the  ice  with  this  brief  discussion  of  the 
land  and  the  people,  let  us  devote  the  rest  of  the  chapter 
to  a  consideration  of  economic  conditions  in  Tohoku. 

Dense  Population.  Japanese  often  speak  of  Tohoku 
as  including  the  six  prefectures  of  Fukushima,  Miyagi, 
Yamagata,  Akita,  Iwate,  and  Aomori,  but  Niigata  may 
well  be  included,  thus  taking  in  all  of  the  main  island 
north  of  the  37th  parallel.  These  seven  prefectures 
comprise  approximately  an  area  of  30,000  square  miles 
and  a  population  of  7,500,000.  There  are,  therefore, 
about  250  persons  to  the  square  mile.  We  have  previous- 
ly remarked  that  only  one-sixth  of  all  the  land  is  capable 
of  cultivation.  That  means  that  1 500  persons,  or  about 
300  families,  must  get  their  living  from  a  square  mile  of 
fields.  There  are  on  the  average  a  little  over  two  acres 
to  a  family. 


Ainu  (Aborigines)  at  Home  in  Hokkaido 


Ainu  Visitina;  a  Public  School  in  Sendai 


Planting,  Reaping  and  Flailing  Rice 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  25 

Small  Farms.  Not  long  ago  Missionary  Ankeney 
was  introduced  to  a  Japanese  audience  as  an  American 
farmer's  son,  the  speaker  adding  that  his  father  culti- 
vated 215  acres.  A  Japanese  peasant  who  was  present 
said,  "In  my  village  there  are  50  households  and  we  have 
altogether  not  so  much  land  as  that."  So  Mr.  Ankeney 
seemed  to  them  quite  a  lord.  Of  the  4,926,804  owners 
of  farms  in  Japan  nearly  half  (2,299,714)  own  less  than 
an  acre  and  a  quarter,  and  another  fourth  (1,292,495) 
own  less  than  two  and  a  half.  Those  who  own  125  acres 
or  more  number  only  2,705.  To  imagine  what  the  Jap- 
anese countryside  is  like,  one  needs  only  to  picture  to 
himself  a  whole  hamlet  of  peasants  living  close  together 
in  mud-walled  and  thatch-roofed  houses  standing  in  the 
place  that  would  in  America  be  occupied  by  a  single 
farmer's  house  and  outbuildings. 

Terrible  Famines.  It  is  not  surprising  that  in  the 
old  days,  before  Japan  began  to  be  modernized,  when 
means  of  communication  were  poor  and  the  transport  of 
commodities  from  the  domain  of  one  lord  to  that  of  another 
was  often  obstructed  by  law,  the  ravages  of  famine  were 
sometimes  terrible.  About  a  hundred  years  ago  the  lord 
of  Soma,  a  country  on  the  coast  of  Fukushima  Prefecture, 
of  which  Nakamura  was  the  castle-town,  lost  nearly  all 
his  people  in  a  severe  famine  and  had  to  import  colonists 
from  other  quarters. 

Food  Different  from  Ours.  The  Japanese  have  no 
bread  and  butter.  They  do  not  depend  upon  wheat  and 
similar  cereals  for  their  main  diet,  because  rice  makes  a 
surer  and  larger  crop.  Cultivating  wheat  intensively 
and  using  the  hoe  they  may  get  twenty-five  bushels  to 
the  acre;  but  of  rice  they  may  get  fifty  bushels  to  the 


26  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

acre.  The  average  is  between  thirty  and  thirty-five. 
The  ordinary  peasants  have  no  stock  except  a  few  ill-fed 
work-horses,  and  know  nothing  of  milk,  cheese  and  butter. 
The  fields  surrounding  the  villages  need  no  fences,  for 
there  are  no  cattle.  An  important  supplement  of  the 
food  derived  from  the  land  is  fish,  for  Japanese  waters 
comprise  some  of  the  richest  fishing  grounds  in  the  world. 
The  bread  and  butter  of  the  Japanese  is  rice  and  fish. 
As  a  humorist  has  said,  they  have  rice  and  fish  for  break- 
fast, fish  and  rice  for  dinner,  and  both  for  supper.  Only 
this  is  too  rosy  a  picture.  Rice  and  fish  is  what  all  Jap- 
anese desire  to  have  three  times  a  day,  but  many  have  to 
substitute  for  rice,  wheat,  barley,  millet,  panic,  and  other 
grains  that  they  do  not  relish,  and  for  fish,  beans,  or 
perhaps  only  pickled  vegetables. 

American  Food  a  Luxury.  On  the  other  hand  the 
well-to-do  may  add  to  their  rice  bits  of  chicken  and  eggs. 
It  is  only  in  quite  recent  times  that  dairies  have  sprung 
up  in  the  vicinity  of  cities,  supplying  milk  to  babies,  in- 
valids and  rich  youths  at  lo  cents  a  quart,  and  old  cows 
and  work-oxen  are  slaughtered  to  furnish  a  little  beef 
to  soldiers,  invalids  and  prodigal  sons.  Bread  can  now 
be  bought  in  the  large  cities. 

Rice  the  Great  Staple.  Rice  being  the  most  highly 
prized  staple  food,  wherever  possible,  land  is  leveled 
and  irrigating  ditches  are  cut  to  flood  the  fields  and  pre- 
pare for  the  cultivation  of  this  cereal.  A  little  over  halt 
of  the  arable  land  of  the  whole  empire  consists  of  these 
paddy-fields.  The  consumption  of  rice  is  about  five 
bushels  to  a  person  per  annum,  so  that  one  acre  about 
feeds  a  family.  But  a  great  deal  of  Japanese  rice,  which 
is  of  the  very  best  quality,  is  exported,  and  large  quantities 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  27 

are  consumed  by  the  brewers  of  sake^  the  national  alco- 
holic beverage,  so  that  many  of  the  poor  have  to  eat  im- 
ported grain  of  bad  flavor  which  is  called  "Nankin  rice.*' 
One  variety  can  be  grown  on  dry  fields  but  is  inferior  in 
quantity  and  quality. 

Cultivation  of  Rice.  An  immense  amount  of  labor 
is  involved  in  the  production  of  rice  as  it  is  raised  in 
Tohoku.  First  the  seed  is  selected  by  immersing  it  in 
brine  of  a  strength  determined  by  the  nature  of  the  variety 
to  be  sown,  the  useless  grains  floating  off  and  leaving  the 
sound  kernels.  These  are  steeped  in  water  a  week,  and 
sown  in  specially  prepared  seed  beds  in  May.  The  water  is 
drawn  off  in  the  daytime  when  the  weather  is  warm,  to 
quicken  the  growth  of  the  seedlings.  In  June  the  fields, 
which  have  been  previously  manured  and  dug  by  manual 
labor,  are  harrowed  and  flooded,  and  the  seedlings  are 
transplanted  one  by  one  by  hand.  Two  weeks  later  the 
mud  about  the  roots  must  be  stirred,  and  this  is  usually 
done  with  the  bare  hands.  Weeding  is  repeated  during 
the  summer.  At  a  certain  time  the  schools  may  be 
closed  and  the  children  sent  into  the  fields  to  gather  harm- 
ful insects.  In  late  September  as  the  grain  begins  to 
ripen,  scare-crows  and  noise-producing  devices  of  innum- 
erable kinds  are  employed  to  drive  off  the  birds.  The 
fields  are  dried  and  the  yellow  grain  is  reaped  with  a 
sickle  and  hung  up  on  poles  to  dry.  The  heads  are  pulled 
off  on  a  large  comb,  flailed,  and  put  through  a  kind  of 
mill  to  rub  off  the  clinging  chaff.  The  clean  grain  still 
has  a  brown  coat,  like  bran,  which  can  be  removed  only^ 
by  long  continued  bruising  by  a  pestle  in  a  mortar,  fine 
white  sand  being  added  to  facilitate  the  process.  This 
polishing  is  usually  done  by  water-power. 


28  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

A  Risky  Crop  in  the  North.  So  far  as  Tohoku  is 
concerned  the  surprising  fact  is  that  rice  can  be  grown 
in  the  same  climate  in  which  apples  thrive.  This  is  not 
the  case  in  America.  Occasionally  the  crop  fails.  The 
failure  when  it  occurs  is  due  to  lack  not  of  rain  but  of 
sunshine.  The  climate  is  determined  largely  by  the 
warm  Japan  Current  or  "Black  Tide."  But  there  is  also 
an  eddy-like  cold  stream  that  creeps  from  the  north  hug- 
ging the  east  coast.  It  may  be  the  varying  relations 
between  these  currents  that  affect  the  climate  so  that  in 
certain  years  the  summer  is  too  cool  and  cloudy.  Tohoku 
suffered  a  very  severe  famine  at  the  close  of  the  war  with 
Russia  in  1905-06,  and  in  19 13-14  the  extreme  north- 
eastern section  was  again  stricken.  One  factor  that 
causes  failures  is  the  risk  taken  by  many  peasants,  who 
in  this  climate  ought  to  plant  early  varieties  that  are 
pretty  sure  to  mature  before  the  frost  comes,  but  cannot 
resist  the  temptation  to  plant  the  slower  sorts,  which, 
given  a  warm  summer,  produce  much  more  abundantly. 

Agricultural  Progress.  The  friends  of  the  Japanese 
will  rejoice  to  learn  that  in  the  empire  as  a  whole  since 
1882,  while  the  area  of  the  paddy-fields  has  increased  only 
17  per  cent.,  the  population  in  the  meantime  growing  45 
per  cent.,  the  production  was  increased  6^  per  cent.  It 
is  reassuring  to  know  that  the  supply  grows  faster  than 
the  demand.  The  improved  efficiency  is  due  to  scientific 
method.  It  was  the  great  chemist  Takamine  who  taught 
the  peasants  the  importance  of  superphosphate  as  a 
fertilizer. 

Rice  the  Main  Food.  We  have  discussed  rice  at 
such  length  because  to  the  Japanese  it  is  the  subject  of 
paramount  importance.     Rice  is  the  chief  dish  of  every 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  29 

meal  except  in  the  case  of  a  men's  banquet,  when  sake  is 
substituted.  The  cook  carefully  washes  the  grains,  im- 
merses them  in  water  and  brings  the  water  to  the  boiling 
point,  after  which  the  fire  is  reduced  and  the  rice  is  allowed 
to  steam  until  it  is  softened,  but  not  so  much  as  to  be  crush- 
ed. The  plain  boiled  rice  is  eaten  without  the  addition 
of  anything.  If  it  were  sweetened  or  otherwise  flavored 
it  could  hardly  be  eaten  three  times  a  day,  for  the  same 
reason  that  in  the  long  run  for  our  daily  meals  we  prefer 
plain  bread  to  cakes.  There  is  a  glutinous  variety  of 
rice  which  is  boiled  and  beaten  until  it  becomes  a  sticky 
mass  and  then  is  made  into  dumplings.  The  minimum 
requirement  in  the  way  of  relishes  is  some  vegetable 
pickled  in  brine.  The  chief  pickle  is  made  of  a  giant 
radish.  In  the  line  of  vegetables  the  Japanese  eat  a  far 
greater  variety  than  we  do. 

Supplemented  by  Beans.  Soy  beans  are  next  in 
importance  to  rice,  being  so  called  because  they  are 
fermented  to  make  the  sauce  called  soy,  which  is  used  in 
Japanese  cookery  as  regularly  as  we  use  butter  and  sugar. 
Another  product  of  the  same  beans  is  a  fermented  salty 
paste  called  miso,  much  used  to  make  appetizing  soups. 
A  fresh  product  is  tofuy  which  wherever  Japanese  civiliza- 
tion prevails  is  delivered  at  the  kitchen  door  every  day 
as  milk  is  delivered  in  America.  Probably  tofu  will  some 
day  become  familiar  to  Americans.  It  is  made  by  boiling 
the  beans,  grinding  them  fine,  extracting  the  milky  juice 
and  curdling  it  just  as  we  make  milk  into  junket  by 
means  of  rennet.  It  is  cheap,  exceedingly  nutritious  and 
very  digestible.  The  claim  is  made  that  it  nearly  equals 
milk. 

Dainties.     The  enormous  quantity  of  fish  taken  from 


30  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

the  ocean  is  supplemented  by  salmon,  trout  and  char 
from  the  rivers,  eels  and  lampreys  from  the  ditches,  and 
carp  from  the  ponds,  which  are  as  common  as  chicken- 
yards  in  America.  Locusts  from  the  paddy-fields;  var- 
ious kinds  of  seaweeds,  clams  and  oysters,  octopus  and 
whale  from  the  ocean;  mushrooms  and  ferns,  chestnuts 
and  walnuts,  ducks  and  pheasants,  and  bear  and  monkey 
from  the  mountains,  make  special  dainties  for  those  who 
like  such  things  and  can  afford  to  pay  for  them. 

Fruits.  The  old  staple  fruits  of  the  North  were  pears 
and  persimmons.  Both  are  practically  unknown  in 
America.  The  Japanese  pears  have  the  shape  and  color 
of  a  large  russet  apple  and  are  sweet  and  watery,  in  taste 
more  like  a  watermelon  than  our  pears.  Persimmons 
flourish  in  higher  latitudes  than  with  us.  They  are  con- 
sidered by  many  the  finest  fruit  there  is.  Some  varieties 
have  to  be  shut  up  in  a  tight  box  with  a  very  slight  sprink- 
ling of  brandy  to  secure  the  fermentation  that  makes  the 
puckery  fruit  deliciously  sweet;  other  sorts  become  mel- 
low on  the  tree  and  may  even  be  eaten  green.  Recently 
Tohoku,  particularly  the  northernmost  portion,  has 
begun  to  produce  excellent  apples  in  great  abundance. 
So  late  as  ten  years  ago  the  only  southern  fruits  known  in 
the  north  were  mandarins.  All  kinds  of  oranges  are  now 
imported  from  the  south,  and  bananas  too  are  becoming 
common.  Fruits  are  eaten  fresh.  The  Japanese  house- 
wife does  not  know  how  to  preserve.  Only  persimmons 
are  dried. 

Great  Variety  of  Foods.  Enough  has  been  said  to 
show  that  our  neighbors  in  Tohoku  are  finding  things  to 
eat  and  that  with  scientific  agriculture  and  improved 
transportation  the  possibility  of  famine  is  becoming  more 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  31 

and  more  remote.  In  their  experience  of  hunger  in  past 
ages  the  Japanese  learned  to  eat  a  bewildering  variety  of 
foods.  They  have  solved  the  problem  of  living  on  two 
acres  of  farmland  to  the  family.  It  may  be  that  in  the 
near  future  America  will  have  need  of  the  hints  that  they 
can  give  us. 

Silk  the  Chief  Export.  If  rice  is  the  most  important 
product  in  the  inner  economy  of  Tohoku,  in  the  country's 
economic  relations  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  silk  is  even 
more  so.  Silk  is  king.  When  the  silk-worms  thrive  and 
silk  sells  at  a  good  price  Tohoku  rejoices.  Japan  pro- 
duces nearly  half  the  world's  supply  of  silk.  In  191 6 
there  was  sold  abroad  raw  silk  thread  worth  ^133,500,000, 
of  which  total  ^112,000,000  worth  was  bought  by  the 
United  States.  The  precious  stuff  is  sometimes  carried 
from  the  Pacific  coast  to  New  York  in  special  trains; 
for  four  carloads  are  worth  a  million  dollars.  One  of  our 
Christian  farmers  has  remarked:  "I  have  observed  that 
when  America  prospers  our  village  prospers."  His  point 
was  that  when  America  can  buy  silk,  Tohoku,  whose 
chief  export  is  silk,  finds  times  good.  It  is  probable  that 
the  trade  will  increase.  So  far  as  the  climatic  and  other 
physical  conditions  are  concerned  there  is  no  reason  why 
silk  should  not  be  grown  in  the  United  States;  but  we 
cannot  command  the  labor  involved  and  have  not  the 
experience  required  to  make  good  silk  thread. 

Production  of  Silk.  A  separate  book  would  have  to 
be  written  in  order  fully  to  describe  the  production  of 
silk.  The  technique  is  appalling  to  an  impatient  Ameri- 
can. The  mother-moths  are  caused  to  lay  their  eggs  on 
numbered  spaces  on  a  card-board,  after  which  they  are 
microscopically  examined  by  a  corps  of  inspectors,  and 


32  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

the  progeny  of  the  infected  and  otherwise  unfit  are  re- 
jected. The  eggs  are  inert  in  winter,  hatching  when  the 
weather  becomes  warmer.  The  time  of  hatching  is 
regulated  by  keeping  them  cool,  sometimes  in  the  natural 
cold  storage  of  certain  caves.  For  their  food  mulberry 
plantations  are  prepared.  The  trees  are  ugly  stumps 
bristling  with  numerous  shoots,  the  growth  of  the  former 
year.  The  leaves  are  gathered  for  the  worms  and  the 
stripped  shoots  all  cut  off  in  order  that  there  may  be  a 
fresh  growth  for  the  next  year.  The  worms  are  kept  in 
shallow  trays  on  shelves  in  a  large  and  airy  room.  The 
leaves  are  cut  while  still  fresh  and  fed  to  them  in  the 
trays,  precautions  being  taken  against  dampness.  About 
once  in  seven  days  the  worms  rest  and  molt,  giving  the 
workers  a  little  respite.  As  the  worms  grow  larger  they 
eat  ravenously.  In  a  room  where  thousands  are  kept,  the 
rustling  noise  made  as  they  hastily  and  greedily  chew  up 
the  leaves  is  like  the  swish  of  the  wind  in  the  tops  of  the 
trees.  Nests  of  straw  are  made  in  which  the  mature 
worms  spin  their  cocoons. 

Manufacture  of  Silk.  The  most  difficult  and  deli- 
cate task  is  that  of  unwinding  the  filaments.  The  co- 
coons must  be  sorted  with  care.  In  reeling  they  are 
immersed  just  the  right  length  of  time  in  hot  water  of 
just  the  right  temperature.  As  they  float  in  their  hot 
bath  they  are  teased  with  a  kind  of  brush  made  of  rice 
straw  until  the  ends  are  found.  Various  filaments  are 
combined  to  make  a  thread  which  is  twisted  and  wound 
upon  a  rapidly  revolving  reel,  while  the  cocoons  spin  and 
dance  on  the  water.  So  soon  as  a  filament  gives  out  the 
reel  must  be  stopped  and  another  filament  substituted, 
in  order   that   the   thread  may  be  uniform.     The   best 


Gathering  Mulberry  Leaves     (ij 


Feeding  Mulberry  Leaves  to  Silkworms     (2) 


Airing  Cocoons       .^ 


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Storing  Cocoons      (4) 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  ^;^ 

results  are  secured  where  the  reelers,  who  are  always 
women,  work  together  in  one  factory  under  expert  super- 
vision. The  authorities  are  doing  their  utmost  to  main- 
tain the  high  reputation  of  their  product  for  uniformity 
and  reliability.  We  have  gone  into  detail  here  to  show 
how  much  depends  upon  the  moral  character  of  those 
engaged  in  this  business,  in  which  Christian  Japanese 
laymen  are  becoming  more  and  more  prominent. 

Japanning  an  Old  Art.  Time  does  not  allow  our 
looking  into  more  of  the  interesting  old  industries  of  Japan, 
but  we  may  glance  a  moment  at  the  lacquerers,  whose 
art  is  so  perfect  that  we  speak  of  any  highly  polished 
article  as  "japanned."  The  industry  is  a  thousand  years 
old.  The  aboriginal  Ainu  prized  lacquered  wares  above 
all  other  goods,  and  when  one  visits  a  chief  in  Hokkaido 
today  the  host  displays  with  pride  a  great  collection  of 
ancient  pieces,  the  heirlooms  of  his  house. 

Lacquer  Trees.  The  varnish  called  lacquer  is  ob- 
tained from  a  wild  tree,  R/ius  vernici/era,  of  the  same  genus 
as  poison  sumac  and  poison  ivy.  It  is  even  more  poison- 
ous than  these.  Most  people  are  not  affected  by  dried 
and  finished  lacquer,  but  in  the  case  of  a  few  Americans 
merely  to  touch  a  lacquered  dish  brings  on  a  great  deal  of 
suffering. 

Wooden  Dishes  Best.  Articles  of  furniture,  and 
particularly  boxes  and  bowls  used  in  eating  and  drinking, 
are  made  of  wood  covered  with  this  wonderful  varnish, 
variously  colored.  Dried  lacquer  is  extremely  stable 
and  resistant  to  chemical  solvents.  Since  covered  bowls 
made  of  wood  do  not  conduct  heat,  and  when  lacquered 
are  not  affected  by  hot  liquids,  they  are  much  used  in 
serving  Japanese  meals.  The  Japanese  hostess  does  not 
worry  about  her  soup's  getting  cold. 


34  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Technique  of  Lacquering.  Thirty  odd  processes 
are  required  to  make  a  perfect  article.  The  lacquer  dries 
best  in  a  damp  atmosphere,  and  dust  must  be  avoided,  for 
which  reasons  much  of  the  work  is  done  in  dark  dungeon- 
like buildings,  to  the  detriment  of  the  health  of  the  artisans. 
It  is  said  that  very  particular  artists  sometimes  take 
their  work  out  to  sea  to  put  on  the  finishing  touches. 
There  is  no  lacquer  factory  such  as  an  American  would 
imagine.  The  work  is  done  in  the  homes  of  masters  who 
employ  journeymen  and  apprentices  in  the  medieval  way. 
Mountaineers  bring  in  roughly  chiseled  blocks  of  wood, 
which  are  turned  into  bowls  on  a  lathe  in  one  house, 
cured  by  means  of  persimmon  juice  in  another,  and  so 
on  through  the  processes,  all  supervised  more  or  less  by 
the  wholesaler  who  markets  the  goods.  In  this  business, 
too,  Christian  laymen  are  likely  to  become  leaders.  The 
failure  of  the  Japanese  lacquerers  to  build  up  a  good  ex- 
port trade  is  due  to  dishonesty  on  the  part  of  many  in 
skimping  the  tedious  preliminary  processes. 

No  Factories  in  Old  Japan.  In  old  Tohoku,  fac- 
tories, as  we  understand  the  word,  did  not  exist.  Wa- 
kamatsu  affords  an  interesting  illustration.  Saws  are 
still  made  by  master-blacksmiths  on  Jockey  Street  as 
they  were  in  the  Middle  Ages.  Once  a  pretentious  com- 
pany was  formed  to  manufacture  saws  on  a  large  scale, 
but  the  company  could  not  compete  with  Jockey  Street, 
whose  anvils  ring  merrily  as  of  old  from  dawn  until  mid- 
night, while  the  company's  big  plant  lies  abandoned. 
There  is  in  Wakamatsu  a  modern  Technical  School,  but 
it  is  said  that  its  graduates  are  not  in  much  demand  be- 
cause they  do  not  want  to  do  business  in  the  good  old  way. 

Modern  Industries.     Nevertheless  the  steam  roller 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  ^^ 

of  modern  industrialism  is  creeping  into  Tohoku.  Natural 
resources  are  not  lacking.  The  mountains  are  full  of 
lumber  which  is  being  made  available  by  the  growing 
network  of  railroads.  Zinc,  copper  and  silver  can  be 
found  almost  anywhere,  often  in  paying  quantities.  There 
is  iron  at  Kamaishi  on  the  coast  of  Iwate,  soft  coal  at 
Taira  on  the  coast  of  Fukushima,  and  on  the  v/est  coast,  at 
points  in  Niigata  and  Akita,  there  are  real  oil-gushers. 

Women  in  the  Mines.  An  American  visiting  the 
mines  about  Taira  is  shocked  to  see  men  and  women 
going  down  the  shaft  in  pairs,  the  man  to  dig  and  the  wo- 
man to  carry  the  coal  in  a  basket  strapped  to  her  back, 
both  in  a  state  o^  nudity  except  for  a  meager  cloth  about 
the  loins.  Degrading  and  demoralizing  as  such  conditions 
must  be,  they  are  nevertheless  hardly  so  ruinous  as  the 
heartless  abuse  of  young  women  in  the  mills. 

Girls  in  the  Mills.  One  industry  that  has  largely 
been  modernized  is  that  of  weaving  the  simple  silk  cloth 
called  habutae.  As  has  been  said,  most  silk  goes  abroad 
in  the  form  of  thread,  for  Japanese  weavers  are  not  able 
to  anticipate  the  demands  of  foreign  markets.  But  the 
undyed  habutae  is  a  staple  in  demand  all  over  the  world 
for  linings  and  the  like.  Accordingly,  here  and  there  in 
Tohoku  may  be  found  factories  assembling  many  power 
looms,  which  are  driven  by  electricity.  The  operatives 
are  wretched  girls.  The  wages,  for  those  who  come  in  by 
the  day,  are  from  13  to  15  cents  a  day.  Many  are  bought 
cheaply  from  impoverished  parents,  bound  out  to  serve 
several  years,  herded  like  cattle  in  dormitories,  kept  at 
machines  from  five  a.m.  to  ten  p.m.,  allowed  barely  time 
enough  to  gulp  down  their  meals,  and  granted  only  two 
holidays  a  month.     Exhaustion  ruins  great  numbers  of 


26  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

them  physically  and  mentally.  Their  moral  sense  and 
power  of  resistance  weakened,  they  easily  fall  a  prey  to 
designing  men,  particularly  to  unscrupulous  managers 
and  overseers,  so  that  a  steady  stream  of  them  passes  from 
the  factories  to  the  resorts  of  shame. 

Exploited  to  the  Limit.  The  *'JsLpa.n  Chronicle," 
an  English  daily  of  Kobe,  in  1914  quoted  a  Japanese 
authority  on  the  condition  of  women  in  factories; 

"Female  workers  in  Japanese  factories  number  500,000, 
of  whom  300,000  are  under  twenty  years  of  age.  Out  of 
this  army,  400,000  are  engaged  in  the  spinning,  weaving, 
and  dyeing  industries.  Of  these  women  70  per  cent,  live 
in  factory  quarters,  which  means  a  sort  of  confinement. 
Work  in  the  raw  silk  factories  lasts  from  13  to  14  hours  a 
day  on  the  average,  and  that  in  weaving  mills  14  to  16 
hours.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  health  of  these  girls 
is  seriously  injured  by  such  conditions.  In  the  spinning 
mills  the  women  are  put  to  night  work  every  other  week. 
This  affects  the  workers'  health  so  severely  that  at  the 
end  of  a  week  they  lose  considerable  weight.  Though 
this  loss  be  partly  recovered  during  the  next  week  on  the 
day  shift,  the  night  work  ultimately  wrecks  the  health 
of  the  workers.  Few  can  stand  the  strain  more  than  one 
year,  when  death,  sickness  or  desertion  is  the  outcome. 
The  women  on  the  day  and  night  shifts  are  obliged  to 
share  the  same  bed,  which  is  neither  aired  nor  dusted, 
and  never  exposed  to  the  sun,  since  as  soon  as  one  leaves 
it  another  takes  her  place.  Consequently  consumption 
and  other  epidemics  make  terrible  havoc  of  the  workers. 
The  number  of  women  recruited  as  factory  workers  each 
year  reaches  200,000,  but  of  these  120,000  do  not  return 
to  the  family  roof.     Either  they  become  birds  of  passage. 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  37 

moving  from  one  factory  to  another,  or  go  as  maids  in 
dubious  tea-houses,  or  as  illicit  prostitutes.  Among  the 
80,000  who  return  home,  13,000  are  found  to  be  sick, 
25  per  cent,  having  contracted  consumption." 

Greed  Overreaching  Itself.  Punishment  has  come 
already  to  the  stupid,  short-sighted  proprietors.  Their 
procurers  have  to  go  to  fresh  and  unravaged  districts, 
where  their  practices  are  not  yet  known,  to  get  the  tens  of 
thousands  that  they  seek.  In  a  certain  village  in  Miya- 
saki  Prefecture,  30  girls  returned,  of  whom  20  were  ill,  16 
having  tuberculosis.  This  is  one  reason  why  the  white 
plague  is  spreading  through  Japan  at  a  rate  that  threatens 
to  kill  the  whole  nation  by  quick  consumption.  Exper- 
ience has  shown  that  any  given  district  is  likely  to  be 
exhausted  of  girls  in  three  years.  The  "Japan  Advertiser" 
of  April  15th,  191 7,  says:  "Cotton  spinning  companies, 
who  are  in  need  of  female  operatives,  are  trying  with 
every  means  in  their  power  to  obtain  the  required  number 
of  girls,  but  their  intense  efforts  are  in  most  cases  wasted." 

A  Spark  of  Indignation.  Sometime  ago  Miss  Kawai- 
Michiko,  Secretary  of  the  Japanese  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  visited 
our  Rest  House  for  Mill  Girls  at  Kawamata  and  for  the 
first  time  saw  the  misery  of  the  workers  in  that  town. 
The  next  day  she  was  scheduled  to  address  an  audience 
of  high  school  girls  at  Koriyama.  The  missionary  after- 
wards asked  Pastor  Yoshida  how  Miss  Kawai  had  done. 
"Rather  poorly,"  was  the  reply,  "she  was  so  shocked  by 
what  she  saw  at  Kawamata  that  she  could  think  and  speak 
of  nothing  else  the  next  day."  May  God  raise  up  many 
others  to  feel  with  her  the  same  righteous  and  most  Chris- 
tian wrath  at  those  who  systematically  ruin  the  woman- 
hood of  Japan! 


38  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

New  Industries  for  Men.  But  it  is  not  only  the  girls 
that  suffer.  How  men  are  abused  may  be  inferred  from 
the  following  story  that  comes  from  Wakamatsu:  * 'Since 
the  present  war  began  the  peaceful  valley  of  Aizu  has 
begun  to  look  a  little  like  smoky  Pittsburgh.  The  reason 
is  that  the  west  side  of  Tohoku,  with  its  heavy  rains  and 
snows,  and  its  steep  slopes,  furnishes  innumerable  sites 
for  electric  power  plants.  Probably  Aizu  alone  could 
easily  develop  500,000  horse-power.  This  valley,  being 
comparatively  near  to  Tokyo,  is  first  to  be  exploited. 
Lake  Inawashiro,  eight  miles  long  and  five  miles  wide,  is 
less  than  five  miles  distant  from  Wakamatsu  but  1,000 
feet  higher.  The  rapids  of  the  Nippashi  River  have  been 
divided  into  three  sections  and  three  nests  of  dynamos 
have  been  planned.  Three  years  ago  the  first  power  house 
was  built,  and  experts  from  Switzerland,  Germany,  Eng- 
land and  Pennsylvania  assembled  to  install  the  machinery, 
including  six  10,000  horse-power  dynamos.  The  plant 
is  said  to  be  the  largest  in  the  Orient.  In  the  vicinity 
mushroom  towns  are  springing  up  in  connection  with 
chemical  works,  zinc  refineries  and  other  factories,  taking 
advantage  of  the  cheap  power.  The  Japanese  have 
learned  to  make  for  themselves  40  chemicals  which  before 
the  present  war  they  had  to  import.  The  native  experts 
now  in  charge  of  the  machinery  have  travelled  and  studied 
abroad,  and  several  of  them  are  perfect  Christian  gentle- 
men. 

Inhuman  Bosses.  **The  second  power  plant  was 
called  for  unexpectedly  soon,  and  the  company  hastened 
to  make  a  contract  to  have  the  necessary  excavations 
made.  The  contractor  sub-let  the  job  to  conscienceless 
exploiters  of  labor  of  the  type  of  those  that  have  built  the 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  39 

railroads  through  the  lonely  wildernesses  of  Japan. 
Men  out  of  a  job  were  gathered  in  Tokyo  by  means  of 
fine  promises  of  big  wages  and  easy  work  and  sent  to 
Odera  in  carload  lots.  Arriving,  they  were  handed  over 
to  bosses  armed  with  stout  staves  and  put  to  digging. 
Many  being  unaccustomed  to  the  work  fainted  and  were 
beaten  to  death,  their  bodies  thrown  into  the  fills  or 
bundled  into  cement  kegs  and  buried  in  the  mountains. 
Their  food  was  vile.  At  night  their  clothes  were  taken 
from  them  and  they  were  penned  up.  In  order  to  dis- 
courage desertion  the  contractor  paid  them  not  in  cash 
but  in  tickets,  making  such  generous  deductions  for  ex- 
penses that  the  portion  remaining  to  the  laborer  amounted 
to  three  and  a  half  cents  a  day  (ordinary  wages  for  such 
work  being  from  thirty  to  forty  cents  without  board). 
There  was  a  constant  ebb  of  the  man-power  through 
desertion,  death,  suicide  and  deliberate  murder  by  the 
bosses,  and  almost  every  other  day  a  fresh  carload  of 
fifty  was  brought  in.  An  unsuccessful  attempt  to  escape 
meant  almost  certain  death;  yet  refugees  came  in  every 
day  to  Wakamatsu  on  the  one  side  and  Sukagawa  on  the 
other.  One  poor  fellow  dropped  dead  in  Wakamatsu 
City  Hall  before  he  could  tell  his  tale.  Scores  perished 
before  the  authorities  could  get  their  red  tape  unwound 
and  begin  to  take  notice.  Some  one  said  that  about  300 
had  been  done  to  death,  but  a  Christian  physician  who 
had  been  sent  to  Odera  to  deal  with  an  epidemic  of  chol- 
era that  naturally  broke  out  in  the  camps,  estimated  the 
number  at  100,  more  or  less. 

A  Protesting  Conscience.  "The  writer  travelling 
on  a  certain  train  from  Odera  to  Koriyama  fell  in  with 
one  of  the  engineers  of  the  power  company,  a  Japanese 


40  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Christian,  who  had  just  resigned  his  post.  For  an  hour 
and  a  half  he  spoke  of  these  horrors,  and  would  speak  of 
nothing  else,  showing  a  deep  agony  of  spirit.  Several 
newspapers  in  Tokyo  exposed  the  abuses,  and  the  re- 
sponse was  such  as  to  indicate  that  the  days  of  this  form 
of  villainy  are  numbered.'* 

Rising  Indignation.  Indeed  such  an  impression  was 
made  that  another  set  of  rascals  began  to  exploit  the 
indignation  of  the  intelligent  public.  Early  in  January 
the  police  of  Tokyo  caught  a  man  who  representing  him- 
self to  be  a  refugee  from  the  Ashio  copper  mine  had  en- 
listed the  sympathies  of  university  students.  The  news- 
paper says:  **The  boys  of  Waseda  and  Imperial  univer- 
sities proved  so  chivalrous  as  to  divest  themselves  of 
their  overcoats  for  this  'poor  fellow.'  Nearly  thirty 
overcoats  he  had  sold  to  a  second-hand  clothes  shop  and 
the  sum  of  money  swindled  had  reached  several  hundred 
yen.  The  money  thus  gotten  he  has  been  squandering 
in  the  fashionable  quarters  of  gay  lanterns  and  powdered 
iniquities." 

An  Absurd  Law.  All  of  which  goes  to  show  how  deep- 
ly Japan  is  beginning  to  enjoy  modern  civilization.  Such 
wickedness  may  be  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  but 
there  is  a  difference.  It  must  be  said  to  the  shame  of  the 
Japanese  that  few  care  what  becomes  of  the  laboring 
classes.  Japan  is  not  democratic.  The  suffrage  is  limited 
to  those  who  pay  taxes  in  relatively  large  amounts,  and 
legislation  is  enacted  in  the  interest  of  property,  not  of 
the  people.  Parliament  on  March  29,  191 1,  at  last 
enacted  a  factory  law.  The  enforcement  was  postponed 
to  1 91 6.  By  its  provisions  children  under  12  may  not 
be  employed;  children  under  15  and  women,  during  the 


A  Hardy  and  Industrious  People  4I 

next  fifteen  years,  may  not  work  over  fourteen  hours  in 
the  twenty-four;  after  1931,  they  may  not  work  over 
twelve  hours.  Children  under  15  and  women  may  not 
work  between  10  p.  m.  and  4  a.  m.,  unless  there  are  alter- 
nating shifts;  but  after  1931  they  are  not  to  work  at 
night  at  all.  When  we  remember  that  the  law  does  not 
apply  to  small  factories  employing  less  than  15  persons, 
and  that,  in  the  busy  season  in  certain  industries,  the 
hours  of  labor  may  be  prolonged  with  the  sanction  of  the 
government,  it  is  evident  that  capitalists  and  owners 
know  how  to  escape  any  real  restraint. 

Christianity  the  Only  Cure.  Let  this  chapter  con- 
clude with  an  extract  from  one  of  our  missionary's  sermons 
translated  from  the  Japanese: 

"It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  in  former  ages  Confucian- 
sim  and  Buddhism  exerted  a  good  influence  along  some 
lines.  But  times  are  changing.  To  the  old  evils  are 
added  new  evils  that  go  with  modern  civilization.  Against 
such  the  old  religions  seem  quite  powerless. 

"You  may  see  in  this  land  chestnut  trees  attacked  by 
blight.  The  ends  of  some  branches  wither,  but  the  tree 
as  a  whole  has  power  to  resist  the  disease.  This  Japanese 
blight  has  crossed  the  sea  and  attacked  the  chestnut- trees 
in  America,  with  the  result  that  they  are  disappearing 
rapidly.  What  shall  the  Americans  do?  Since  their 
own  trees  have  not  developed  the  power  of  resistance, 
they  ought  to  get  from  Japan  seeds  of  the  variety  that  has 
long  fought  the  blight  and  developed  that  power. 

"So  the  Christian  religion  has  preserved  its  life  in  the 
midst  of  the  great  evils  that  are  about  to  ruin  Japanese 
society.  As  I  advise  Americans  to  get  Japanese  chest- 
nut-trees, so  I  advise  you  to  seek  the  religion  that  has 
been  proved  to  have  the  power  to  save  modern  society." 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws 


II. 

OLD  WAYS  AND  NEW  LAWS 
Introduction:  j 

1.  The  Old  Social  System;  Lords,  Knights,  and  Plebeians;  Clas- 

ses. ,S 

2.  Change  from  Feudal  to  Modern  System  in  1868.  I 

3.  The  Old  and  New  Side  by  Side.  i 

A.  Manners   and   Customs: 

1.  Houses:  \ 

a.  Rural  and  Urban  Types.  i 

b.  Prevalence  of  Fires. 

c.  Best  Room  in  the  Rear.  , 

d.  Inconvenient   and   Insanitary. 

e.  Heated  by  Charcoal,  Hibachi  and  Kotatsu. 

2.  Clothes:  i 

a.  Kimono,  Girdle,  Trousers,  Headgear,  Footgear.  ' 

b.  Use  of  European  Styles.  1 

c.  Sense  of  Modesty  Different.  j 

3.  Baths. 

4.  The    Family: 

a.  Wife,    Children.  I 

b.  The   Family   Everlasting.  \ 

c.  Marriage  Arranged  by  Relatives. 

5.  Life  of  the  Common  People,  the  Peasants:  ; 

a.  Labor    and    Poverty.  ■ 

b.  The  Old  Lunar  Calendar. 

B.  Characteristics:  \ 

1.  Peculiarities:  Clannishness,    Dependence,    Ambition,    Impa-  \ 

tience,     Conventionality,     Ceremoniousness,     Sentiment-  i 

ality,  Indirection.  i 

2.  Evils:  Extravagance,  Intemperance,  Abasement  of  Women,  \ 

Social  Evil.  1 

3.  Good  Qualities:  Eagerness  to  Learn,  Love  of  Beauty,  Self         ] 

Control,  Self  Sacrifice. 

C.  Government:  Organization,  Army,  Police,  Great  Efficiency  Along 

Some  Lines. 

D.  Education: 

1.  Common  School,  Educational  System. 

2.  Moral  Culture  Emphasized,  Too  Many  Rules,  Lack  of  Sound 

Basis. 

3.  Emperor's  Rescript   and   Portrait. 


II. 

OLD  WAYS  AND  NEW  LAWS 

In  an  attempt  to  describe  the  social  life  of  our  northern 
Japanese,  the  most  illuminating  generalization  is  that 
while  the  government  is  modern  as  modern  can  be,  the 
people  generally  are  still  of  an  ancient  type. 

The  Feudal  System.  When  the  American  expedition, 
under  Commodore  Perry,  peacefully  persuaded  the 
Japanese  to  re-open  their  country  to  the  rest  of  the  world, 
in  1854,  the  whole  of  the  empire  was  under  a  feudal  form 
of  government.  The  unit  was  the  plain,  with  its  metrop- 
olis or  castle-town,  outlying  towns,  and  villages  scattered 
over  the  plain  and  in  the  valleys  among  the  encircling 
mountains.  The  ruler  of  such  a  section,  called  daimyo 
(the  great  name),  had  the  power  of  life  and  death  over  the 
townsfolk  and  the  peasantry.  His  fief  was  guarded  and 
order  was  maintained  by  warriors  of  a  hereditary,  military 
caste,  called  samurai.  These  knights  had  a  high  code 
of  morality,  such  as  it  was,  and  their  descendants  are  the 
noblest  of  the  Japanese  today.  The  code  was  not  Christian 
nor  democratic;  it  was  mainly  Confucian.  A  knight 
owed  to  his  lord  absolute  devotion,  while  he  demanded  of 
inferior  classes  unconditional  subjection.  The  code  gov- 
erning the  samurai  varied  somewhat  in  diflPerent  sections, 
but  it  was  the  rule  that  a  knight,  who  deemed  himself 
affronted  by  disrespectful  behavior  on  the  part  of  a  com- 

45 


46  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

moner,  had  a  perfect  right  to  dispatch  the  culprit  instanter. 
This  principle  is  described  by  a  Japanese  term,  which  may- 
be rendered,  "Cut  him  down  and  leave  the  carcass;  no 
questions  asked." 

Four  Classes.  The  classes  of  Japanese  society  were 
four, — knights,  peasants,  artisans  and  merchants.  It 
was  significant  that  the  peasants  were  ranked  next  to  the 
knights  in  the  order  of  importance  to  the  state,  while 
the  merchants,  who  were  held  in  contempt,  occupied  the 
lowest  position.  The  idea  was  that  the  knights  must  be 
fed,  and  therefore  the  peasants  were,  of  all  the  commoners, 
the  most  important  class.  The  merchants,  in  the  opin- 
ion of  the  ruling  class,  were  parasites.  Money  was  no 
object  to  a  man  of  knightly  spirit. 

Military  Despotism.  As  a  result  of  the  civil  wars 
three  hundred  years  ago,  the  lord  of  Edo  (now  called 
Tokyo),  of  the  Tokugawa  family,  became  the  over-lord 
of  all  Japan.  His  title  was  Shogun  (generalissimo).  As 
head  of  the  military  government,  he  paid  homage  to  the 
hereditary  Emperor  living  at  Kyoto,  who  was  revered  as 
a  deity,  but  in  reality  was  helpless  and  kept  in  a  state  ot 
poverty. 

Revolution  of  1868.  After  the  country  was  opened 
to  the  world  the  weakness  of  the  old  feudal  government 
soon  became  apparent.  In  the  name  of  the  Emperor  at 
Kyoto,  several  powerful  lords  from  the  western  end  of 
Japan  overpowered  the  Shogun  and  brought  about  his 
resignation.  The  conservative  northerners  attempted  to 
resist  this  change.  Under  the  leadership  of  the  lord  of 
Wakamatsu,  the  warriors  of  the  North  gathered  inAizu  for 
a  decisive  battle.  The  westerners,  equipped  with  superior 
arms,  besieged  the  rebels  in  the  castle  at  Wakamatsu 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  47 

and,  in  one  month,  overcame  their  opposition.  Waka- 
matsu,  which  was  then  a  city  of  some  150,000,  was  burned, 
the  warriors  were  exiled  and  scattered,  and  the  city  so 
reduced  that  today  it  hardly  numbers  50,000.  The 
northerners  have  since  been  regarded  with  more  or  less 
of  distrust.  Whether  on  account  of  geographical  posi- 
tion, distance  from  the  world-highway,  native  conserva- 
tism, or,  possibly,  discrimination  on  the  part  of  the  govern- 
ment, Tohoku  has  not  been  developing  so  rapidly  in  the 
last  50  years,  as  other  sections  of  Japan. 

Things  New  and  Old.  Now  we  have  to  do  with  an 
old-fashioned  nation  under  an  up-to-date  government. 
In  this  chapter  we  will  discuss,  first,  the  old  manners  and 
customs  of  the  people,  then,  we  will  attempt  to  sum  up 
the  chief  characteristics  of  the  Japanese  of  today,  as  they 
appear  in  Tohoku,  and  finally  we  will  glance  at  the  work 
which  is  being  done  by  their  new  rulers. 

Ancient  Habits.  An  American  business  man,  seeing 
Japan  for  the  first  time,  wrote,  "Two  minutes  after  we 
had  passed  the  city  limits  of  Yokohama  we  were  in  the 
middle  ages."  If  the  country  about  Yokohama  looks 
medieval,  that  about, such  northern  centers  as  Sendai, 
Wakamatsu  or  Hirosaki  may  be  called  primitive.  There 
is  a  network  of  railroads  and  telegraph  wires  operated  by 
the  government;  but  the  country  traversed  by  these  lines 
looks  just  as  it  did  long  ago,  when  our  own  European 
ancestors  were  still  barbarians.  Rarely  one  sees  a  group 
of  smokestacks  of  a  mining  plant  or  a  row  of  steel  struc- 
tures bearing  wires  for  transmitting  electricity,  and  these 
look  as  if  carried  by  Aladdin's  lamp  over  from  America. 
But  mixed  up  with  these  new  things  are  peasants  threshing 
grain  on  an  earthen  floor,  like  the  one  that  once  belonged 


48  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

to  Araunah,  the  Jebusite,  or  working  the  fields  with  hoes 
such  as  those  pictured  on  the  ancient  Egyptian  monuments, 
while  girls  with  tiny  sickles  mow  the  grass  by  the  wayside, 
singing  weird,  sad  songs  that  sound  as  if  they  might  have 
been  composed  by  the  rivers  of  Babylon.  If  we  go  into 
a  house  in  the  village  we  may  find  a  kerosene  lamp  and  a 
clock  with  Roman  figures  on  its  face;  but  all  else  is  prim- 
itive. 

A  House  in  the  Country.  A  typical  peasant's  house 
is  built  of  unpainted  wood,  the  plaster  is  made  of  clay 
with  chopped  rice  straw,  and  the  roof  is  thatched  with 
reeds.  In  the  valleys  among  the  mountains,  where  lumber 
is  abundant,  and  the  snows  are  heavy,  the  house  is  very 
large  and  substantial.  A  large  house  in  the  backwoods 
has  a  floor  in  three  stages  or  terraces.  The  highest  level 
is  for  the  ancestral  shrine  and  the  honored  guests.  The 
middle  level  is  for  the  man  of  the  house,  who  occupies  a 
position  at  the  central  fireplace  and  ordinarily  receives 
his  guests  there.  The  fireplace  is  a  hole  made  in  the 
floor,  about  one  yard  square,  surrounded  by  stones. 
Here  wood,  sticks,  and  brush  are  kept  burning,  the  smoke 
wandering  more  or  less  about  the  house,  or  among  the 
rafters,  and  escaping  through  an  opening  in  the  roof, 
constructed  like  an  open  dormer-window.  Over  the 
fireplace  there  is  suspended  from  the  roof  a  heavy  rope 
carrying  a  crane  to  hold  the  big  tea-pot  or  some  vessel  for 
cooking,  and  above  it  shelves  for  storing  articles  which 
are  to  be  smoked  or  dried.  The  lowest  level  has  another 
fireplace  over  which  the  woman  of  the  house  with  her 
girls  or  domestics  presides  and  does  most  of  the  cooking. 
About  the  lowest  floor  are  grouped  in  the  form  of  lean-to 
buildings  what  would  be  out-houses  in  America,  a  stable, 
a  chicken  house,  a  wood-house,  a  bath-house,  etc. 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  49 

A  House  in  Town.  Out  on  the  plain,  where  the  snow 
is  not  so  deep,  the  houses  are  usually  smaller,  with  sep- 
arate out-houses.  The  smallest  and  cheapest  huts  are  to 
be  found  in  the  cities.  The  ordinary  Japanese  house  in  a 
town  is  little  more  than  a  roof  resting  on  posts.  It  is 
usually  like  a  bungalow,  of  one  story.  The  side  from 
which  the  cold  winds  come  is  plastered  up  more  or  less. 
The  other  sides  are  closed,  when  it  is  cold,  by  means  of 
light  sliding  doors  of  lattice  covered  with  white  paper. 
Outside  these  there  is  usually  a  veranda,  a  board-floor 
three  feet  wide,  which  serves  as  a  corridor.  The  veranda 
is  enclosed  at  night,  or  in  stormy  weather,  by  sliding 
doors  made  of  thin  boards.  The  partitions  between  the 
rooms  are  also  removable,  being  made  of  light  frames, 
three  feet  wide  and  six  feet  high,  covered  with  wallpaper 
and  running  in  grooves.  The  floor  of  the  living  room  is 
covered  with  mats,  each  three  feet  by  six,  made  of  woven 
straw  an  inch  thick  and  a  covering  of  finer  matting. 
There  is  no  furniture  to  speak  of.  People  entering  the 
house  leave  their  footgear  at  the  door,  and  the  floors  are  as 
clean  as  the  top  of  an  American  table.  The  same  room  is 
used  for  all  purposes.  Meals  are  served  on  individual 
trays  brought  in  from  the  kitchen.  At  night  cotton 
comforters  laid  on  the  floor  make  a  bed.  The  absence  of 
furniture  makes  house-cleaning  easy  and  moving  to  a 
new  residence  easier.  A  tolerable  little  cottage  can  be 
built  for  one  or  two  hundred  dollars,  and  five  hundred 
will  pay  for  quite  a  commodious  dwelling. 

Prevalence  of  Fires.  When  in  the  spring  and  autumn 
little  rain  falls  and  winds  are  high,  great  conflagrations 
are  common,  sweeping  in  an  incredibly  short  time  a 
whole  town  out  of  existence.     These  fires  have  so  plagued 


50  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

the  people  that  the  government  has  made  stringent  laws 
forbidding  the  erection  of  more  houses  with  thatched  or 
shingled  roofs.  In  the  cities,  however,  the  proportion 
of  inflammable  roofs  remaining  is  still  surprisingly  large. 
Attached  to  a  residence  of  the  better  sort  is  a  fireproof 
house  called  in  the  English  of  the  East  a  "godown." 
After  a  great  fire,  such  a  structure  usually  stands  intact 
among  the  ruins.  The  treasures  of  the  family  are  kept 
in  this  fireproof  house  and  include  the  decorations  used 
in  the  living-rooms,  such  as  pictures  mounted  on  scrolls, 
vases,  and  other  curios. 

Residences  Hindside  Foremost.  In  a  town  a 
disposition  to  hide  the  best  part  of  the  property  is  mani- 
fest. When  one  walks  through  the  residence  sections, 
hardly  anything  is  to  be  seen  but  forbidding  walls  and 
fences,  six  feet  high.  The  contrast  with  a  modern  Ameri- 
can street,  where  the  aim  is  to  have  the  houses  look  most 
beautiful  from  the  street  and  produce  a  parklike  effect, 
is  very  marked.  In  a  Japanese  residence,  the  prettiest 
view  is  to  be  had  from  the  rear,  where  there  is  a  hidden 
garden  so  arranged  as  to  look  its  best  from  the  reception 
room.  On  the  other  hand,  the  part  nearest  the  street  is 
occupied  by  the  kitchen  and  the  cook's  quarters.  Even 
in  a  city  like  Sendai  there  are  no  pavements.  The  street 
is  a  mere  dirt  road  on  which  gravel  from  the  river  is  spread 
once  in  a  while.  Where  the  pavements  for  pedestrians 
should  be,  there  are  deep  gutters  or  open  sewers.  Through 
the  walls  facing  the  streets,  kitchen  sinks  poke  their 
noses  and  pour  out  their  dirty  streams.  Many  of  the 
gutters  are  not  as  bad  as  they  might  be  because  they  are 
flushed  by  streams  of  water  deflected  from  the  river. 
There  are  advantages  in  having  the  kitchen  next  to  the 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  51 

street.  Where  the  servant  is  so  conveniently  placed,  a 
doorbell  is  hardly  needed.  Hence  in  a  house  of  the  better 
sort  the  lady  or  wife  is  called  "the  honorable  interior'* 
{oku  san). 

No  Water  or  Gas.  There  are  no  "modern  conven- 
iences" in  the  general  run  of  Japanese  houses,  except  that 
electric  lights  are  now  quite  common.  Sendai  has  begun 
to  build  a  modern  sewer  system  and  gas  works.  Water 
is  still  obtained  from  wells.  These  are  not  so  vile  as  one 
might  suppose,  because  the  filth  of  the  city  is  not  allowed 
to  poison  the  soil  to  any  extent,  but  is  regularly  carted 
off  by  the  peasants  for  fertilizer. 

More  Aesthetic  Than  Practical.  A  typical  Jap- 
anese house  is  simple,  inexpensive  and  artistic;  but  it  is 
not  hygienic.  In  most  places  the  water  in  the  soil  is  so 
near  the  surface  that  a  cellar  is  impossible  and  the  floor 
is  so  low,  so  near  the  moist  ground,  that  the  straw  matting 
and  cotton  bedding  are  damp  and  cause  the  multiplica- 
tion of  vermin  and  bacteria.  The  Japanese  ought  to 
set  their  houses  high  up  from  the  ground,  on  posts,  as 
the  Filipinos  do;  but  they  are  afraid  of  the  cold  winds, 
which  come  through  the  matting  like  water  through  a 
sieve  when  the  floor  is  high. 

Charcoal  Fires.  For  warmth,  the  peasants  burn  wood 
and  rubbish  in  open  fireplaces,  which  have  no  chimneys, 
but  the  more  refined  people  of  the  town  use  charcoal 
exclusively.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important  commodi- 
ties sold  in  a  Japanese  city.  Charcoal  is  made  in  primi- 
tive ovens  in  all  parts  of  the  mountains,  carried  to  town 
on  the  backs  of  horses  and  shipped  by  the  carload  to  the 
cities.  In  the  middle  of  the  room  a  tin-lined  box,  or  a 
bowl  of  metalware  or  chinaware  about  a  foot  in  diameter. 


52  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

is  half  filled  with  the  ashes  made  by  burning  straw,  and 
on  this  a  few  coals  are  kept.  A  semblance  of  warmth  may- 
be produced  by  using  a  number  of  these  firepots.  It  is 
usual  to  protect  the  living  rooms  by  means  of  a  wind- 
break, either  a  high  hedge  or  a  structure  of  reed  mats  or 
of  straw.  Deep  snow  piled  against  the  sides  of  a  house, 
often  up  to  the  eaves,  may  shield  it  from  the  winds  and 
keep  it  warm,  but  makes  it  unpleasantly  dark. 

An  Efficient  Bed  Warmer.  In  many  northern 
homes  there  is  a  heating  device  called  kotatsu.  A  hole  is 
sunk  in  the  center  of  the  floor  and  in  it  a  hollowed  stone  is 
fitted,  in  which  live  coals  are  kept.  The  edge  of  the  floor 
is  protected  by  tin  and,  by  orders  of  the  police,  a  strong 
wire  netting  is  kept  over  the  fire  to  prevent  anything  fall- 
ing into  it  and  becoming  ignited.  Over  this  there  is  a 
wooden  frame  about  a  foot  high,  supporting  a  cotton 
comforter.  At  night  the  family  sleeps  about  the  tiny 
fire,  toasting  their  feet  at  the  hot  coals.  It  is  wonderful 
how  much  comfort  they  get  out  of  a  cent's  worth  of  char- 
coal. The  kotatsu  is  in  demand  also  in  the  day;  for  when 
the  hands  and  feet  of  the  children  get  cold  they  snuggle 
under  the  big  cotton  comforter  like  chicks  under  the 
wings  of  the  mother  hen. 

Clothes  Padded  With  Cotton.  The  people  wear 
three  kinds  of  garments,  according  to  the  season;  in 
summer,  a  single  thickness  of  light  cotton  cloth;  in 
spring  and  fall,  a  lined  garment,  and  in  winter,  a  padded 
one.  A  kimono^  as  the  garment  worn  by  both  sexes  is 
called,  is  of  the  simplest  style  possible.  The  cloth  of 
which  it  is  made  is  about  a  foot  wide.  Two  widths  make 
the  back  and  two  widths  the  front,  and  two  other  widths 
not  so  long,  make  the  sleeves.     The  sewing  is  so  simple 


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Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  ^;^ 

that  when  a  padded  garment  needs  to  be  laundered,  it 
is  easily  taken  apart  and  re-sewed  after  it  has  been  cleaned. 
The  padding  is  either  cotton  or  a  cotton-like  substance 
made  of  the  waste  of  the  silk  thread  mills.  If  a  person 
wears  one,  two  or  three  padded  garments,  he  is  as  comfort- 
able even  in  a  cold  room,  as  an  American  is  when  he  goes 
to  bed  under  cotton  comforters.  The  Japanese  way  of 
sitting  helps  to  keep  the  body  warm.  In  winter,  the 
shops,  which  are  quite  open  to  the  streets,  have  exactly 
the  same  temperature  as  the  air  outside.  The  clerks, 
if  there  is  nothing  doing,  squat  about  the  brazier,  warming 
their  hands.  It  is  not  surprising  that  they  show  reluctance 
to  move  until  they  are  assured  that  the  customer  means 
business;  for  when  they  have  to  move  they  are  almost  as 
uncomfortable  as  the  American  who  has  to  get  out  of  bed 
in  an  unheated  room. 

The  Girdle.  The  kimono  has  no  buttons.  A  man 
or  a  child  uses  a  simple  strip  of  cloth  as  a  girdle  about  the 
waist.  The  sash  (ol^i)  of  a  woman  is  an  immense  piece 
of  cloth.  It  may  be  a  yard  wide  and  five  yards  long,  and 
in  the  case  of  a  fine  lady  is  worth  a  fortune.  A  lady  may 
use  four  other  girdles,  two  under  the  big  sash  to  keep  the 
kimono  in  place  and  make  the  skirt  hang  right,  and  two 
over  the  sash  to  keep  it  and  its  big  bow  in  order. 

Trousers.  Where  deep  snow  prevails  in  winter,  both 
men  and  women  wear  trousers.  The  purpose  was  origin- 
ally to  protect  the  legs,  but  it  has  become  the  habit  to 
don  these  convenient  overalls  all  the  year  round.  They 
are  very  baggy  above  to  contain  the  skirt  of  the  kimono, 
and  taper  to  the  ankles.  As  the  wearers  shuffle  along  in 
the  slouchy  way  that  becomes  habitual  when  one  wears 
Japanese  footgear,  they  look  grotesque  to  an  American — 
very  much  like  bears. 


54  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Feminine  Accessories.  When  a  woman  puts  on  her 
best  clothes,  she  calls  a  hair-dresser,  who  oils  her  black 
tresses  and  builds  up  a  glossy  coiffure  in  some  conven- 
tional form  according  to  her  state,  whether  she  is  single, 
or  a  bride  or  a  matron,  or  whatever  she  may  be.  This 
coiffure  "stays  put"  for  days.  i\t  night  the  well-groomed 
lady  lays  her  head  not  on  a  soft  pillow,  but  on  a  padded 
prop  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  muss  the  artistic  creation. 
Outdoors  she  wears  no  hat.  Only  in  winter  she  may  don 
a  sort  of  hood,  a  simple  piece  of  cloth  which  is  wrapped 
about  the  head  and  neck  and  kept  in  place  by  means  of 
loops  that  go  around  the  ears.  An  old  habit  that  does 
not  look  artistic  to  the  American  eye  is  that  of  dyeing  the 
teeth  black.  The  blackened  teeth  used  to  be  a  wife's 
badge  of  fidelity  to  her  husband,  and  are  still  a  common 
sight  in  Tohoku. 

Shoes  of  Wood  and  Straw.  The  simplest  shoe  is  a 
flat  block  of  wood  dragged  along  the  ground  by  means  of 
a  wooden  peg  with  a  knob  on  the  top,  which  is  held  between 
the  great  toe  and  the  other  toes.  The  ordinary  clog  is 
held  to  the  foot  by  means  of  a  cloth  strap,  the  ends  of 
which  are  attached  to  the  sides  of  the  block,  while  the 
middle  is  fastened  to  the  front  end  between  the  toes. 
Children  soon  learn  to  walk,  run,  jump  and  dance  on 
clogs.  After  playing  outdoors  awhile,  on  returning  to 
the  house,  they  must  leave  them  at  the  entrance;  but  it 
takes  no  time  at  all  to  withdraw  their  toes  from  the  bands, 
and  one  may  see  a  child  run  into  the  house  without  a 
pause,  by  two  deft  little  backward  kicks,  leaving  his 
shoes  behind  him.  When  the  roads  are  dry  and  hard, 
lighter  sandals  of  plaited  stuff  are  worn.  But  when  the 
mud  is  deep,  the  wooden  blocks  are  elevated  by  means  of 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  55 

two  uprights,  little  boards  attached  beneath  at  right 
angles,  thus  keeping  the  feet  high  and  dry.  For  a  long 
tramp  over  country  roads  one  provides  a  few  pairs  of 
straw  sandals,  at  a  cost  of  three-quarters  of  a  cent  a  pair. 
In  deep  snow,  straw  boots  are  worn. 

Foreign  Costume.  Business  men  in  increasing  num- 
bers are  adopting  our  style  of  dress.  This  is  more  con- 
venient outdoors,  but  at  home  the  native  garb  is  more 
comfortable.  A  well-to-do  Japanese  pays  double  for  his 
clothing,  because  it  is  necessary  to  have  both  kinds.  It 
is  said  that  in  the  long  run  the  foreign  clothing  is  not  only 
more  useful,  but  also  cheaper.  The  uniforms  of  soldiers 
and  students  are  not  different  from  ours.  But  the  women 
still  dress  in  the  old  style;  for  foreign  gowns  and  hats 
and  shoes  are  not  becoming  to  them. 

No  Clothes  Sometimes.  To  an  American  the  Jap- 
anese seem  very  immodest.  They  do  not  hesitate  to  go 
about  without  any  clothing  at  all,  except  a  loin  cloth,  if 
there  is  any  proper  excuse  for  doing  so.  In  hot  weather 
the  common  people  throw  off  the  upper  part  of  the  ki- 
mono, allowing  it  to  hang  over  the  girdle;  in  wet  weather 
they  expose  the  lower  limbs  by  tucking  the  skirt  up  into 
the  girdle.  Those  who  work  in  rivers  or  on  the  beach 
doff  the  kimono  entirely,  and  in  fisher- villages  clothes  are 
hardly  worn  all  summer.  Bathers  do  not  care  for  privacy. 
On  the  other  hand,  American  fashions  often  shock  the 
Japanese.  Bathing  customs  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing, Japanese  costumes  are  essentially  more  modest 
than  ours. 

The  Hot  Bath.  For  a  Japanese,  the  day  that  ends 
without  a  plunge  in  hot  water,  ends  miserably.  In  a 
well-to-do  household  a  private  tub  is  installed.     This  is 


§6  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

made  of  wood  by  a  cooper  and  bound  with  hoops  of  bam- 
boo. It  is  about  three  feet  deep.  A  heavy  tube  of  iron, 
about  the  size  of  a  stovepipe,  is  fitted  into  a  hole  in  the 
bottom  at  one  end  and  kept  filled  with  hot  coals.  The 
bather  dips  out  hot  water  and  washes  his  body  by  the  side 
of  the  tub;  then  takes  a  plunge  for  a  rinse.  The  next 
bather  adds  a  little  cold  water  to  bring  down  the  tem- 
perature, since  the  fire  is  kept  going  all  the  while,  and 
proceeds  as  before.  All  in  the  house  use  the  same  water 
in  succession.  If  the  family  can  afford  charcoal,  the 
tub  is  set  in  the  house.  If  the  fuel  makes  much  smoke, 
it  is  placed  in  an  outhouse  or  in  the  yard.  The  water 
is  usually  too  hot  for  an  American  to  endure.  Those 
who  cannot  afford  a  private  tub  go  to  one  of  the  numer- 
ous public  bathhouses,  where  a  large  vat  of  steaming 
water  is  always  ready,  and  a  ticket  costs  two  cents. 
A  journalist  of  Tokyo  writes:  **I  was  reading  the  other 
day  an  old  book  called  *Edo  Prosperity  Record,'  where- 
in there  was  a  vivid  description  of  the  inside  of  a  bath- 
house as  it  was  over  a  hundred  years  ago  in  Edo.  With 
a  few  alterations,  it  might  apply  exactly  to  the  bath- 
house of  today  in  the  center  of  Tokyo."  The  people  are 
coming  to  see  that  their  public  baths  are  neither  decent 
nor  sanitary. 

Duties  of  a  Housewife.  A  Japanese  housewife,  com- 
pared with  her  American  counterpart,  is  less  strenuous. 
The  cooking  is  very  simple,  no  baking  is  done;  cleaning 
is  simplified  by  the  absence  of  furniture,  and  the  custom  of 
leaving  the  shoes  at  the  entrance;  there  is  little  washing 
to  be  done,  and  sewing  is  reduced  to  a  minimum.  When 
a  male  caller  comes,  the  man  of  the  house  takes  charge 
and  orders  his  wife  to  bring  fire,  tea,  refreshments,  or 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  57 

anything  required  for  his  entertainment,  using  toward  her 
a  gruff  tone  and  contemptuous  language  in  order  to  show 
honor  to  his  guest. 

Indulgence  Toward  Children.  It  is  in  the  care  of 
her  little  ones  that  the  Japanese  woman  appears  most  at 
a  disadvantage.  Her  child,  especially  if  it  is  a  boy,  wor- 
ries and  teases  her  a  great  deal.  She  is  very  much  aston- 
ished at  the  attitude  of  the  Christian  American  toward  a 
little  child  of  two  years  or  so.  A  wise  parent  knows  that 
obedience  must  be  taught  at  that  tender  age  or  never. 
The  disposition  of  a  Japanese  parent  is  to  let  a  very  little 
child  have  its  own  way  unless  there  is  danger  of  physical 
hurt.  It  may  be  true  that  Japan  is  a  paradise  for  child- 
ren; for  the  people  of  all  classes  dearly  love  them  and  do 
everything  in  their  power  to  make  them  glad.  But  the 
Japanese  system  is  very  cruel  to  young  men  and  women. 
At  the  age  when  an  American  youth  begins  to  enjoy  free- 
dom and  enter  upon  his  independent  career,  the  Japanese 
youth  is  subjected  to  the  tyranny  of  what  is  called  the 
family. 

The  Family  Line.  The  Japanese  idea  of  the  family 
is  quite  different  from  ours.  The  family  is  an  antique 
institution  to  be  preserved  intact  for  all  time.  It  is  the 
Confucian  conception  that  an  ancestor  must  always  have 
a  living  representative  to  perpetuate  his  name  and  do 
him  honor.  When  there  are  a  number  of  children  in  a 
family,  the  question  must  be  decided  which  one  will  take 
upon  him  the  responsibility  of  maintaining  the  line  and 
honoring  the  ancestors.  The  one  chosen  to  be  the  heir 
has  charge  of  the  property  and  is  responsible  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  parents.  Younger  brothers  who  wish  to  share 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  property,  must  be  subject  to 


58  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

him.  A  younger  brother  may  choose  rather  to  leave  and 
start  a  new  family.  If  there  is  no  son  to  take  the  re- 
sponsibility, and  a  daughter  is  available,  a  husband  must 
be  found  for  her  who  is  willing  to  leave  his  own  family 
and  take  her  name  and  be  subject  to  her  parents.  For 
in  Japan  one  does  not  marry  an  individual.  Marriage 
means  taking  a  certain  position  in  a  family.  If  there 
is  neither  son  nor  daughter,  the  usual  method  is  to  adopt 
a  girl,  train  her  for  a  while  in  the  ways  of  the  family,  and 
then  adopt  a  husband  for  her. 

No  Marriage  for  Love.  With  us,  it  is  disgraceful  to 
marry  for  any  reason  but  love;  but  in  Japan  a  man  who 
cares  at  all  for  his  moral  reputation  is  particular  not  to 
give  any  ground  for  suspicion  that  he  personally  knows 
and  cares  for  the  woman  whom  he  marries.  To  be  in 
form,  it  is  best  to  marry  a  perfect  stranger.  The  parents 
of  the  young  man  do  the  negotiating  with  the  parents  of 
the  young  woman,  not  directly,  but  through  another 
couple,  called  go-betweens.  After  the  choice  is  made 
there  is  a  slight  concession  to  personal  preference  in  that 
the  young  people  are  allowed  to  see  each  other,  duly 
chaperoned,  and  either  of  the  two  has  the  right  of  veto. 
The  bride  is  brought  to  the  house  of  her  husband^s  par- 
ents and  put  into  subjection  to  her  mother-in-law.  Her 
duty  is  to  the  family  into  which  she  has  been  brought 
rather  than  to  her  husband. 

A  Bad  Custom.  W&  missionaries  do  not  go  to  Japan 
with  the  idea  that  it  is  our  business  to  Americanize  the 
Japanese  people.  But  in  regard  to  marriage,  either  their 
way  is  wrong  or  ours  is.  In  America,  marriages  are,  no 
doubt,  undertaken  too  lightly;  we  are  extremely  individ- 
ualistic and  apt  to  be  capricious.     But  with  all  our  weak- 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  59 

nesses,  our  marriages  are  certainly,  on  the  average,  far 
happier.  In  England,  the  proportion  of  divorces  to 
marriages,  is  only  one  to  ten  thousand;  in  Germany,  ten; 
in  the  United  States,  forty-one;  in  Japan,  eighty-six,  not 
counting  the  numerous  marriages  which  are  clandestine, 
or  irregular  so  far  as  the  government  is  concerned.  Jap- 
anese girls  are  now  enjoying  a  modern  education,  and  the 
system  which  forces  them  into  unions  which  are  dis- 
tasteful to  them  (for  while  the  girl  has  nominally  the 
right  to  refuse,  really  she  seldom  dares  to  do  so)  is  pro- 
ducing innumerable  domestic  tragedies,  and  unfortunate 
children,  as  American  women  who  become  intimate  with 
their  Japanese  sisters  very  well  know. 

Agriculture  the  Chief  Business.  The  occupation  of 
the  people  is  mostly  agriculture.  The  statistics  of  Fuku- 
shima  Prefecture  show  that  among  100  working  men  and 
women,  there  are  84  peasants,  9  merchants,  5  laborers 
and  1  fishermen.  About  the  same  proportions  would 
hold  true  for  all  Tohoku,  The  peasants  add  to  their 
scanty  income  by  making  various  articles  of  straw,  such 
as  shoes  for  men  and  horses,  and  matting  and  rope  for 
packing  merchandise.  Even  rice  is  shipped  in  sacks  of 
straw.  They  also  gather  firewood,  make  charcoal,  do 
heavy  hauling  and,  at  certain  seasons,  help  the  fisher- 
men or  go  to  the  cities  to  work  as  laborors. 

Hard  Life  of  the  Peasants.  Even  so,  the  gross  in- 
come of  a  peasant's  household,  if  he  owns  his  fields,  aver- 
ages but  $225  a  year,  and  if  he  is  a  tenant  only  ^150.  Of 
this  amount  about  16  per  cent,  is  paid  to  the  government 
as  taxes.  When  he  has  to  borrow  he  pays  interest  at  the 
rate  of  from  8  per  cent,  to  36  per  cent.  Pawnbrokers  and 
usurers  prey  upon  the  peasants  everywhere.     Especially 


6o  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

in  the  vicinity  of  the  cities  is  exploitation  and  enslavement 
by  loan-sharks  common.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are 
some  old  families  holding  large  areas  of  land,  that  deal 
rather  kindly  with  their  tenants.  The  Homma  Family 
of  Sakata  has  an  estate  valued  at  ^40,000,000.  This 
family  300  years  ago,  by  planting  trees,  stopped  the 
sandstorms  that  had  often  ruined  the  homesteads  of  the 
people  and  taught  improved  methods. 

The  Peasants*  Calendar*  The  intense  conservatism 
of  the  peasants  is  illustrated  by  their  refusal  to  accept  the 
western  calendar,  which  the  central  government  definitely 
adopted  in  1873.  It  was  ruled  that  government  offices, 
schools  and  other  public  institutions  should  close  on 
Sunday.  This  arrangement  was  made  for  the  sake  of 
convenience,  because  the  foreign  advisers,  who  were  former- 
ly employed  in  large  numbers,  declined  to  work  on  Sun- 
day. Banks,  too,  and  industrial  corporations  of  the 
modern  sort,  observe  Sunday  more  or  less.  But  the 
masses  are  not  affected  by  the  modern  calendar,  except  for 
the  fact  that  their  children  do  not  go  to  school  on  Sunday. 
The  peasants,  and  the  merchants  in  the  smaller  towns, 
who  do  business  with  them,  go  by  the  lunar  calendar. 
This  is  like  that  which  was  used  in  Old  Testament  times. 
The  date  of  the  new  year  is  very  important  to  the  Jap 
anese,  because  all  accounts  have  to  be  settled  by  new 
year's  eve.  Also  the  age  of  a  person  is  not  reckoned  from 
birthday  to  birthday,  as  with  us,  but  a  fraction  of  a  year 
is  counted  as  one.  Thus  a  child  born  in  December,  191 6, 
is  three  years  old  in  January,  191 8.  The  new  year  of 
the  lunar  calendar  occurs  before  or  after  the  first  of  Febru- 
ary. There  are  in  Wakamatsu  three  new  year's  days. 
The  officials  and  teachers  observe  January  first;  the  mer- 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  6i 

chants,  February  first;  the  peasants,  a  day  in  late  January 
or  early  February.  The  peasants  will  not  give  up  the 
old  calendar,  because  they  say  they  would  be  all  at  sea 
without  it.  They  agree  with  the  old  farmers  in  Pennsyl- 
vania who  sow  and  plant  by  the  moon. 

Japanese  Characteristics.  We  are  now  to  attempt 
a  general  characterization  of  the  people.  To  an  Ameri- 
can who  has  lived  in  the  country  a  short  while,  the  people 
may  seem  all  alike  and  generalization  is  easy.  But  to 
one  who  has  had  much  experience,  it  is  evident  that  Jap- 
anese character  has  many  sides.  But  since  it  is  the  pur- 
pose of  our  study  to  become  acquainted  with  the  people, 
the  attempt  must  be  made  to  discuss  their  traits.  First 
we  will  note  some  peculiarities,  not  in  any  disdainful 
spirit,  but  recognizing  that  similar  tendencies  appear 
variously  modified  in  common  human  nature  everywhere. 

I .     Clannishness. 

The  spirit  of  the  gang  is  strong.  Like  the  disciple 
John,  who  said  to  the  Master,  "We  forbade  him  because 
he  followed  not  us,"  the  people  are  extremely  intolerant 
of  individual  variation.  All  must  conform  to  one  stand- 
ard. To  those  who  have  breathed  the  freer  atmosphere 
of  America,  this  trait  often  appears  very  unlovely.  One 
manifestation  of  it  may  be  seen  in  a  deliberative  assembly. 
The  Japanese  do  not  like  to  discuss  a  subject  and  then 
vote  upon  it  with  the  idea  that  the  minority  shall  submit 
to  the  majority.  To  them,  every  committee  is  like  a 
jury.  The  decision  must  be  unanimous.  So  the  dis- 
cussion goes  on  until  the  weaker  side  is  worn  out  and 
yields.  Very  rarely  does  the  individual  dare  to  stand 
alone. 


62  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

2.  Dependence. 

Every  one  seems  to  be  looking  for  a  patron  who  will 
relieve  him  of  concern  for  his  living.  One  who  is  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  have  a  son  looks  forward  to  a  happy,  care-free 
old  age.  A  missionary  one  day  gave  a  silver  half-dollar 
to  an  aged  woman  begging  at  his  door,  whereupon  she 
began  to  weep,  saying,  **What  shall  I  do  when  I  have  spent 
all  this?"  The  poor  old  soul  had  no  relatives  and  was 
looking  for  one  who  would  make  a  home  for  her.  So 
strong  is  this  tendency  that  the  government  dislikes  to 
disburse  any  charity-funds,  fearing  the  collapse  of  the 
little  self-reliant  spirit  that  the  people  have. 

3.  Ambition. 

The  Japanese  do  not  understand  social  equality.  Men 
are  related  as  superior  and  inferior.  Hence,  the  intense 
desire  to  become  superior.  At  the  same  time,  this  am- 
bition seems  to  lack  substance.  The  desire  is  not  so 
much  to  be  really  superior  as  to  occupy  a  superior  posi- 
tion. For  this  reason,  we  often  observe  men  exerting 
themselves  to  the  utmost  as  students  until  they  obtain 
the  coveted  degree  or  office,  then  giving  up  all  study. 

4.  Impatience. 

A  Japanese  is  naturally  nimble  of  body  and  alert  of 
mind.  He  is  capable  of  putting  forth  a  great  effort  in  a 
spurt,  but  lacks  endurance.  It  is  significant  that  Japan 
has  carried  off  relatively  many  honors  in  international 
athletics,  as  in  the  recent  Olympic  Meet,  but  this  very 
intensity  of  effort  is  followed  by  severe  reaction.  After 
working  very  hard  for  a  while,  if  there  is  no  successful 
issue,  the  toiler  is  apt  to  throw  up  the  whole  thing  in 
disgust. 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  6;^ 

5.  Conventionality. 

The  Japanese  lives  by  rules.  He  admires  what  has 
been  labeled  as  admirable.  He  is  governed  by  conven- 
tions. He  strictly  observes  the  code.  This  has  its  good 
side.  For  example,  the  rikshaman,  the  fellow  who  pulls 
the  little  two-wheeled  carriage,  which  is  such  a  convenient 
means  of  moving  about  in  Japan,  is  usually  a  rough  char- 
acter. But  he  has  his  code.  When  a  passenger  is  en- 
trusted to  him,  he  is  bound  to  deliver  that  passenger  to 
his  destination  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  It  is  a  remark- 
able fact  that  a  lady  may  be  placed  alone  in  a  riksha  and 
put  in  charge  of  such  a  man  without  fear,  though  the 
way  be  dark.  It  never  occurs  to  him  to  do  violence  in 
such  a  case.  This  does  not  mean  that  he  is  a  moral  man. 
He  observes  the  code;  he  could  not  be  a  rikshaman  if  he 
did  not.  On  the  other  hand,  in  a  case  for  which  the  code 
does  not  provide  the  Japanese  is  apt  to  be  helpless. 

6.  Ceremoniousness. 

The  Japanese  is  a  great  stickler  for  prescribed  forms. 
Too  often  he  is  satisfied  to  have  a  thing  look  correct  no 
matter  what  it  really  is.  The  language  is  full  of  extreme- 
ly polite  expressions  which  charm  the  visiting  American. 
These  stereotyped  phrases  do,  no  doubt,  have  a  refining 
influence.  But  the  man  of  experience  does  not  take 
them  at  more  than  10  per  cent,  of  their  face  value. 

7.  Sentimentality. 

If  the  sentiment  is  right  all  is  right.  Where  sentiment 
is  concerned,  the  Japanese  is  hardly  amenable  to  reason. 
Let  him  get  the  impression  that  you  look  down  upon  him 
and  you  can  do  nothing  with  him.  Arouse  a  grateful 
emotion  and  you  can  do  almost  anything  you  like  with 
him.     His  mind  is  not  so  logical  or  scientific  as  that  of 


64  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

the  German,  for  instance,  who  chases  after  facts  regardless 
of  sentiment.  To  the  Japanese  mind  it  is  much  more 
important  to  say  what  is  agreeable  than  to  say  what  is 
true. 

8.     Indirection. 

Extreme  caution  in  dealing  with  another  personality 
is  a  marked  characteristic.  Scarcely  anywhere  else  is 
each  individual's  personality  handled  so  gingerly  as  in 
Japan.  Hence,  when  any  delicate  matter  is  to  be  dis- 
cussed, a  middleman  must  come  in  as  a  buffer.  Direct 
negotiation  with  a  Japanese  is  apt  to  be  intolerably  tedious 
to  an  American;  for  one  often  spends  hours  trying  to 
discover  the  real  reason  for  the  attitude  taken. 

National  Evils. 

I .     Extravagance. 

In  proportion  to  their  means  the  Japanese  are  even 
more  extravagant  than  we.  Whatever  the  real  condition 
of  things  may  be,  at  all  costs  the  appearance  must  be 
irreproachable.  At  first  sight  the  native  costume  seems 
so  simple  and  uniform  that  our  own  women,  exploited  as 
they  are  by  the  makers  of  fashions,  envy  their  Japanese 
sisters.  It  may  surprise  some  to  hear  that  there  are 
fashions  in  Japan,  though  the  Americans  cannot  always 
distinguish  them,  and  that  Japanese  dress,  for  people  of 
moderate  means  at  least,  is  more  expensive  than  American. 
In  the  matter  of  diet  also,  the  Japanese  are  extravagant. 
It  may  be  due  to  the  unsatisfying  character  of  their  ordin- 
ary food  that  they  are  so  addicted  to  confectionery. 
Cake-shops  are  as  common  as  are  saloons  on  the  East 
Side  of  New  York.  It  is  said  that  there  is  one  such  shop 
for  every  76  houses  and  that  the  people  of  all  Japan  spend 
Jioo,ooo,ooo  for  cakes  in  a  year.     The  houses,  too,  simple 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  6$ 

as  they  are,  do  not  give  the  comfort  that  might  be  ob- 
tained for  the  money  they  cost.  The  man  of  means 
spends  on  his  residence  an  amount  that  would  build  a 
comfortable  residence  in  American  style;  but  the  money 
goes,  not  for  shelter  and  convenience,  but  for  rare  woods 
and  carvings. 

2.     Intemperance. 

There  are  many  causes  contributing  to  the  nervous  ex- 
haustion of  the  people.  Not  only  are  they  intense,  but 
also  irregular  in  their  habits.  They  eat  three  times  a 
day,  but  these  times  are  not  fixed.  For  instance,  in  sum- 
mer, they  eat  very  early  and  very  late,  because  the  days 
are  long;  and  in  winter,  their  meals  are  close  together. 
Moreover,  they  have  the  habit  of  gulping  their  food  in 
silence,  as  if  eating  were  a  disagreeable  necessity  or  a 
weakness  to  be  ashamed  of.  They  also  sleep  irregularly 
and  not  sufficiently.  To  those  who  know  the  causes  of 
intemperance,  it  is  not  surprising  that  they  should  be 
very  much  addicted  to  alcoholic  liquor.  The  native 
beverage  distilled  from  rice  and  called  sake  has  a  large 
percentage  of  alcohol.  It  is  usually  drunk  warm,  heated 
by  immersing  the  bottle  in  hot  water.  The  first  effect 
is  to  make  the  skin  fiery  red;  then  it  produces  boisterous- 
ness  and  usually  makes  a  man  eager  to  fight.  Consider- 
ing that  Russia  is  abolishing  vodka  and  the  United  States 
is  moving  rapidly  toward  prohibition,  it  seems  that  in 
the  near  future  Japan  may  be  the  most  alcoholic  of  the 
nations  of  the  world.  The  average  laborer  earning  $g  a 
month  spends  ^1.50  a  month  for  liquor.  In  191 5,  in  all 
Japan,  sake  was  manufactured  to  the  amount  of  $230,- 
000,000. 


66  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

3.  Abasement  of  Women. 

If  by  gentlemanliness  we  understand  a  chivalrous  at- 
titude toward  the  gentler  sex,  the  typical  Japanese  is  not 
a  gentleman.  A  missionary  who  lives  in  a  snowy  country 
writes,  "When  I  go  down  the  street  after  a  heavy  fall  of 
snow  and  meet  in  the  narrow  path  a  woman  coming  in 
the  opposite  direction,  she,  of  course,  gets  out  into  the 
deep  snow  and  yields  to  me  the  right  of  way.  I  dare  not 
be  too  eager  to  give  her  the  path  for  fear  that  my  motive 
might  be  misinterpreted.  If  she  did  not  give  me  the  path 
as  she  would  to  a  Japanese  man,  I  should  feel  insulted, 
unless  I  had  reason  to  think  that  she  knew  the  American 
custom.**  A  woman  does  not  walk  by  the  side  of  her 
husband,  but  trots  along  behind,  carrying  his  overcoat  or 
other  baggage,  if  needs  be.  Women  are  not  allowed  to 
ascend  the  sacred  mountains  to  which  pilgrimages  are 
made.  Confucius  said,**Women,  as  well  as  fools,  are 
ungovernable,"  while  Buddha  taught  that  a  woman,  as 
such,  could  not  be  saved,  but  might,  if  she  lived  a  good 
life,  be  reborn  as  a  man. 

4.  Social  Evil. 

In  the  Japanese  language  there  is  no  word  for  the  purity 
of  a  gentleman.  There  is  a  word  for  chastity,  but  this 
is  used  only  in  speaking  of  the  loyalty  of  a  woman  to  the 
man  to  whom  she  belongs.  Government,  itself,  regards 
the  social  evil  as  necessary  and  licenses  a  house  of  shame 
as,  in  America,  a  liquor-saloon  is  licensed.  This  evil  is 
not  limited  to  any  one  nation.  America  is  bad  enough, 
God  knows,  but  there  is  one  great  difference.  In  America 
no  man  is  trusted  by  the  people  who  is  known  to  be  sexual- 
ly immoral.     But  in  Japan  the  statesmen  who  hold  the 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  67 

very  highest  position  in  the  gift  of  the  Emperor  have  often 
been  men  notorious  for  their  disgraceful  acts,  and  the 
people  laugh  at  the  stories  told  of  them.  It  may  easily  be 
imagined  what  an  effect  the  attitude  of  the  government 
and  of  the  public  has  upon  the  young  men  of  the  nation. 

Some  Fine  Japanese  Traits.  Let  us  now  glance  at 
but  a  few  of  the  wholly  admirable  qualities  of  the  Japan- 
ese. 

1.  Eagerness  to  Learn. 

One  who  has  lived  intimately  with  the  people  cannot 
but  feel  a  deep  admiration  for  their  childlike  thirst  for 
knowledge.  Have  there  ever  been  in  the  history  of  the 
world  so  many  changes  in  so  short  a  tim.e  as  have  been 
witnessed  in  Japan  in  the  last  fifty  years?  The  singular 
open-mindedness  of  the  nation  has  made  these  wonders 
possible.  We  find  our  northerners  especially  unpreten- 
tious and  open  to  conviction. 

2.  Love  of  Beauty. 

This  has  been  somewhat  conventionalized,  as  has  been 
hinted;  but  it  is  surely  to  the  mind  of  a  discerning  person 
an  evidence  of  natural  goodness  that  the  people  make  so 
much  of  the  beauties  of  the  blossoming  trees,  the  snow 
covered  landscapes,  and  the  moonlit  views.  Japan  has 
the  reputation  of  being  a  beautiful  land.  It  is  that,  but 
it  is  more  discriminating  to  call  it  a  land  of  beauty-lov- 
ing people.  When  one  sees  a  ragged  rikshaman  carefully 
tending  a  pet  chrysanthemum  in  a  bit  of  ground  beside  his 
hovel,  or  a  grimy  blacksmith  setting  a  vase  of  flowers 
alongside  his  anvil,  one  has  found  another  reason  for 
loving  the  people.  Their  love  of  children  is  another  trait 
that  makes  one  feel  that  they  are  near  the  Kingdom. 


68  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

3.  Self  Control. 

A  refined  Japanese  is  careful  not  to  make  others  un- 
comfortable by  any  display  of  unpleasant  feeling  in 
voice  or  gesture,  in  word  or  manner.  It  is  a  curious 
habit  to  smile  in  speaking  of  the  death  of  a  relative  or 
friend.  Americans  who  show  on  their  faces  all  kinds  of 
emotions,  appear  to  the  Japanese  like  shameless  savages. 

4.  Self  Sacrifice. 

Readiness  to  sacrifice  one's  own  life  is  the  noblest  char- 
acteristic of  the  people.  This,  too,  is  conventionalized. 
The  Japanese  thinks  too  much  of  sacrifice  in  behalf  of  a 
superior,  as,  for  instance,  dying  for  his  Emperor  in  battle. 
And  he  thinks  too  little  of  the  need  of  sacrifice  for  the 
welfare  of  his  country  and  of  the  world.  But  it  is  his  recog- 
nition of  the  glory  of  sacrifice  that  makes  the  nation  so 
powerful  in  the  world  today  and  will  surely  in  the  future 
make  it  a  great  factor  in  the  spiritual  progress  of  all 
nations. 

Political  System.  The  new  government  feels  that 
the  time  has  not  yet  come  for  entrusting  to  the  people  any 
large  measure  of  power.  Of  the  12,000,000  males  of 
voting  age  in  the  whole  empire,  only  1,467,708,  less  than 
one-eighth,  have  the  right  of  suffrage.  A  voter  must  be 
full  25  years  of  age  and  must  have  paid  direct  national 
taxes,  on  land  and  income,  of  not  less  than  ^5  annually. 
Yet  democratic  assemblies  are  more  in  evidence  than  in 
America,  so  far  as  local  affairs  are  concerned.  The  em- 
pire is  divided  into  47  prefectures,  excluding  the  colonies, 
€ach  of  which  is  controlled  by  a  prefect  or  governor  ap- 
pointed by  the  Emperor.  The  prefecture  is  divided  into 
districts,  and  the  districts  again  into  communes,  each  of 
which  is  a  group  of  villages  or  hamlets.     Sometimes  the 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  69 

population  is  so  dense  and  the  houses  so  continuous  that 
the  commune  is  specially  organized  as  a  town.  There 
may  be  in  one  district  from  one  to  three  towns  and  a 
dozen  or  more  of  communes.  The  largest  towns  are 
organized  as  cities  and  take  rank  with  the  districts.  A 
prefecture  may  include  one,  two  or  three  cities  and  a 
dozen  districts  or  more.  The  three  largest  cities  in  the 
empire  take  rank  with  the  prefectures.  Now  every 
commune,  every  district,  every  prefecture,  has  its  legis- 
lative assembly  and  its  corps  of  officials.  The  business 
of  the  communal  assembly  has  to  do  chiefly  with  the 
maintenance  of  schools  and  roads.  The  principal  roads 
and  the  higher  schools  are  managed  by  the  prefectural 
assembly.  The  districts  with  their  assemblies  and  head- 
men, seem  not  to  be  essential  in  the  political  system  and 
they  may  be  abolished  in  the  near  future.  But  in  spite  of 
all  the  concessions  of  the  government,  the  democratic 
idea  seems  to  make  slow  progress.  There  is  not  yet  any 
strong  public  opinion  to  check  the  bureaucrats  in  the 
central  government. 

Military  Conscription.  At  the  age  of  20,  the  young 
men  must  appear  to  take  the  examination  for  the  army. 
From  among  those  who  are  found  fit  for  service,  con- 
scripts are  chosen  by  lot  and  must  serve  with  the  colors 
for  two  years.  When  a  young  man  chosen  for  the  service 
leaves  his  native  village,  a  great  ado  is  made  over  him. 
A  crowd  of  friends  and  relatives  escort  him  to  the  gate  of 
the  garrison,  if  possible;  if  not,  to  the  railroad  station.  A 
large  banner  is  displayed,  proclaiming  the  name  of  the 
young  man  and  the  village  that  had  the  honor  to  produce 
him.  Patriotic  devotion  is  quite  intense  in  Japan,  but 
here,  as  in  every  other  country,  there  is  under  the  surface. 


yo  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

real  rejoicing  when  a  young  man  escapes  the  draft.  Cases 
are  also  known  of  young  men  deliberately  mutilating  them- 
selves in  order  to  escape.  Students  in  first-class  institu- 
tions of  learning  are  exempted  until  they  have  graduated. 
Ministers  are  not.  The  pastor  of  the  church  at  Waka- 
matsu  is  serving  his  time  in  the  army,  where  his  career 
has  been  so  satisfactory  to  the  authorities  that  he  has 
been  made  sub-lieutenant  of  artillery. 

Paternal  Police.  In  both  town  and  country  the 
people  are  strictly  controlled  by  the  police,  who  obey  the 
orders  of  the  central  government.  How  the  people  are 
governed  is  well  illustrated  by  what  happens  at  house- 
cleaning  time.  The  American  house-keeper  is  accustomed 
to  clean  house  in  spring  and  autumn.  In  Japan,  the  house- 
cleaning  is  done  under  the  supervision  of  the  police.  A 
day  is  appointed  for  each  street,  and  on  that  day  every 
householder  is  required  to  carry  out  upon  the  street  his 
few  articles  of  furniture,  mostly  bureaus,  and  take  out 
the  straw  matting,  to  be  aired,  sunned  and  dusted  under 
the  vigilant  eyes  of  the  blue-clad  policeman,  who  with  a 
sword  dangling  at  his  side,  marches  up  and  down  the 
thoroughfare,  and  occasionally  goes  into  the  houses  to 
make  sure  that  all  the  dirt  is  being  taken  out.  This 
seems  to  be  a  sanitary  necessity.  Even  so,  such  diseases 
as  cholera,  due  to  filth,  and  the  black  plague,  due  to  fleas, 
once  in  a  while  get  beyond  control. 

Government  Indiflferent  to  Great  Evils.  The  gov- 
ernment is  so  efficient  in  suppressing  epidemics  that  we 
wonder  why  so  little  is  done  to  combat  the  growing  peril 
of  tuberculosis,  and  so  successful  in  preventing  the  evils 
of  opium-abuse  and  gambling,  that  we  marvel  why  al- 
coholism and  prostitution  are  permitted  and  even  en- 
couraged by  the  authorities. 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  71 

Universal  Education.  The  children,  excepting  only 
the  cripples  and  the  defectives,  all  go  to  public  school  for 
at  least  six  years.  Since  the  population  is  congested  as 
compared  with  ours  in  America,  the  school-houses  are 
usually  large  structures,  with  a  number  of  rooms  and  a 
good  staff  of  teachers.  In  remote  districts,  where  the 
snows  are  heavy  and  children  cannot  go  far  in  winter,  each 
hamlet  may  have  a  single  school-room  in  which  children 
are  taught  separately  until  it  is  possible  to  get  them  to- 
gether again  in  the  main  school,  which  is  conveniently 
located  in  the  center  of  the  commune.  The  teachers  are 
mostly  men,  but  women  are  being  employed  increasingly. 
Over  90  per  cent,  of  the  younger  Japanese  receive  a  more 
or  less  complete  common  school  education.  Even  in  the 
worst  slums  of  Tokyo  it  has  been  found  that  84  per  cent, 
of  the  1 1 00  heads  of  the  households,  classed  as  extremely 
poor,  can  read  and  write. 

Higher  Education.  After  the  primary  school  course 
of  six  years  has  been  finished,  the  scholars  may  take  a 
post-graduate  course  of  one  or  two  years,  the  boys,  in 
agriculture;  the  girls,  in  domestic  work,  such  as  sewing; 
or  they  may  go  to  a  middle  school,  which  has  a  course 
of  five  years.  In  the  case  of  girls,  the  middle  school  is 
called  high  school.  In  a  middle  school,  the  subjects  are 
Japanese,  Chinese,  English,  mathematics,  geography, 
science,  history,  morals,  drawing,  gymnastics,  etc.  In 
some  girls'  high  schools  English  is  not  taught  at  all. 
After  finishing  the  middle  school,  the  boys  may  go  on  to 
various  technical  schools  or  enter  the  boys'  high  school, 
as  it  is  called,  which  has  a  course  of  three  years  and  pre- 
pares students  for  the  university.  Students  of  these  upper 
grades  wear  uniforms.     The  young  men  wear  blue  suits 


72  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

of  the  foreign  style.  The  girls  wear  skirts  over  their 
kimonos,  each  school  having  its  distinctive  color.  Co- 
education does  not  occur  above  the  common  school. 

Physical  and  Moral  Culture.  The  educational  sys- 
tem is  remarkable  for  the  emphasis  that  is  put  upon 
physical  and  moral,  as  well  as  intellectual  training.  There 
is  always  a  spacious  ground  for  gymnastic  exercises,  and 
calisthenic  drills  are  constantly  practiced.  In  the  lower 
grades,  singing,  in  our  style,  is  taught  regularly,  thus 
making  the  work  of  our  Sunday  Schools  easier  than  it 
used  to  be.  For  moral  instruction  there  is  a  graded  series 
of  textbooks.  Sometimes  we  think  that  moral  instruction 
is  overdone.  Too  many  rules  of  conduct  may  not  be 
good  for  a  child,  suggesting  to  him  naughty  things  which 
ordinarily  do  not  occur  to  him  to  do.  The  educational 
authorities  deserve  credit  for  their  strenuous  attempts  to 
train  the  chi  dren  in  the  way  they  should  go;  but  without 
a  vital  religion  not  much  can  be  done,  and  the  inculcation 
of  rules  may  do  harm,  as  well  as  good. 

Virtue  the  Best  Policy.  A  young  school  teacher  of 
our  acquaintance  who  is  a  Christian,  recently  asked  the 
scholars  in  an  upper  class  in  the  primary  school  the  follow- 
ing question,"If  you  were  having  an  examination  and  the 
teacher  left  the  room,  and  you  had  an  opportunity  to 
copy  without  the  possibility  of  being  detected,  would 
you  copy  ?'*  Like  dutiful  scholars,  they,  of  course,  replied, 
"No,"  just  as  he  expected.  "Why?"  was  the  next  ques- 
tion. Without  exception  they  all  said,  "Because  later  on, 
the  teacher  might  ask  us  the  same  question  and  then  he 
would  discover  that  we  didn't  know  the  answer,  and  would 
know  that  we  had  copied.  It  wouldn't  pay."  The 
answer,  "It  is  wrong,"  never  occurred  to  a  single  one  of 
them.     The  teacher  says  that  the  present  generation  is 


Old  Ways  and  New  Laws  73 

growing  up  with  no  knowledge  of  right  and  wrong,  as 
abstract  standards.  Morality  is  a  matter  of  profit  and  loss. 

New  Ten  Commandments.  In  1 890,  by  authority  of 
the  Emperor,  the  Educational  Rescript,  designed  to  be 
the  basis  of  moral  instruction  in  the  schools  of  Japan,  was 
published.  This  Rescript  states  that  the  ideal  or  pattern 
of  morality  has  been  transmitted  from  the  age  of  the 
Imperial  Ancestors.  The  ideal  is  described  as  follows, — 
"Be  filial  to  your  parents,  affectionate  to  your  brothers 
and  sisters;  as  husbands  and  wives,  be  harmonious;  as 
friends,  true;  bear  yourselves  in  modesty  and  modera- 
tion; extend  your  benevolence  to  all;  pursue  learning  and 
cultivate  arts,  and,  thereby,  develop  intellectual  faculties 
and  perfect  moral  power;  furthermore,  advance  public 
good  and  promote  common  interests;  always  respect  the 
constitution  and  observe  the  laws.  Should  emergency 
arise,  offer  yourselves  courageously  to  the  state,  and  thus 
guard  and  maintain  the  prosperity  of  our  Imperial  Throne, 
coeval  with  Heaven  and  Earth." 

The  Sacred  Portrait.  The  school  usually  has  in  its 
assembly-hall  a  shrine,  in  which  is  kept  a  portrait  of  the 
Emperor.  This  is  opened  on  the  Emperor's  birthday  and 
the  whole  school  bows  profoundly,  to  show  loyalty  and 
devotion.  In  case  of  fire  it  is  regarded  as  a  dreadful  dis- 
grace to  let  anything  happen  to  this  portrait,  and  cases 
are  not  rare  of  teachers  who  have  laid  down  their  lives  in 
the  attempt  to  save  it.  The  school  also  possesses  an  en- 
grossed copy  of  the  Rescript,  which  on  such  occasions  as 
commencements  and  certain  national  holidays,  is  brought 
out  with  due  ceremony  and  read  to  the  assembled  school, 
while  all  stand  reverently  with  bowed  heads.  To  this 
spirit  of  loyalty  Japan  owes  her  peace  and  her  power  and 
through  it  the  world  has  received  many  benefits. 


Many  Gods 


III. 

MANY  GODS 
Introduction: 

1.  Toleration:  No  Clash  of  Convictions,  but  Demand  for  Na- 

tional Unity;  Religious  Liberty  Granted  in  New  Con- 
stitution. 

2.  Amalgamation  of  the  Old  Religions,  Bodies  of  Believers  Not 

Entirely  Distinct. 

A.  Shinto,  the  Way  of  the  Gods: 

I.  Its   Original   Character:  the   Gods,    the   Way,   No   Definite 

Teachings,  Myths  of  the  Kojiki. 
1.  Institutions:  Shrines,  Festivals,  Priests. 

3.  The  Cult  of  Nationalism:  Worship  of  the  Emperor,  Dream 

of  Universal  Empire,  a  Christian's  Protest. 

4.  Attempt  to  Secularize  Shinto. 

5.  A  Strong  Shintoistic  Sect:  Tenrikyo. 

B.  Confucianism: 

1.  Confucius:  His  Practical  Spirit,  His  Social  Doctrine. 

2.  Influence  upon   the  Japanese. 

3.  A  Noble   Expression:  Bushido,  Ideal  of  Humility,  Energy, 

Dignity, 

4.  The   Dark   Side:  Man-made   Morality,   Perpendicular   Mor- 

ality, Fragmentary  Morality,  Sacrifice  of  Womanhood. 

C.  Buddhism: 

I.  History: 

a.  Sakya  the  Buddha,  His  Doctrine  Based  on  Idea  of 

Transmigration,  His  Gospel  of  Salvation. 

b.  Two  Types,  Southern  and  Northern;  Popular  Char- 

acter of  the  Northern  Buddhism,  Its  Insincerity. 

c.  Introduction  into  China  and  Japan. 

d.  Revivals  of  800  and  1200  A.  D. 
1.  Prominent  Sects: 

a.  Zen  or  Sodo:  Training  of  Priests,  Zeal  of  Some  Edu- 

cated Believers;  A  Related  Fad,  "Quiet  Session." 

b.  Nichiren:  Militant  Buddhism. 

c.  Amida-Buddhism;  Jodo   and  Hongwanji,  Lordly  Ab- 

bots, Devout  Followers,  Modern  Methods. 

3.  Religion  of  the  Dying:   Priests,  Funerals,  Temples,  the  Wor- 

ship   of  Ancestors. 

4.  Religion  of  the  Living: 

a.  Paganism,   Idolatry,  Pilgrimages,  Penances. 

b.  Popular    Idols:  Atago,    Kwannon,    Jizo,    Kishibojin, 

Fudo. 

5.  Benefits  of   Buddhism:    Otherworldly,  Humane,    Sacrificing 

Spirit;   Example  of  Sakura-Sogoro. 

6.  Evils  of  Buddhism:  Wrong  Views  of  God,  Man,  Sin;  Ten- 

dency to  Suicide;  Indifference  to  the  Present  World,  to 
Conduct  and  to  Truth;  a  Religion  of  Despair. 


III. 

MANY  GODS 

Tolerant  Spirit  Toward  Religion.  So  far  as  religion 
is  concerned,  Japan  has  hitherto  been  the  most  tolerant 
of  the  nations.  Of  the  three  systems  that  the  Japanese 
have  known,  native  Shintoism,  Chinese  Confucianism, 
and  Indian  Buddhism,  only  the  last  is  a  dogmatic  religion. 
Buddhistic  doctrine  has  now  become  vague  and  is  little 
understood  by  the  masses.  Conflicts  between  fundamen- 
tal religious  principles  scarcely  appear  in  Japanese  history. 
The  national  mind  is  not  so  much  philosophical  as  practical. 
The  allegiance  of  the  people  is  given  to  social  organiza- 
tions and  to  their  leading  personalities  rather  than  to 
abstract  principles. 

Tendency  to  Uniformity.  On  the  other  hand,  tol- 
eration goes  against  the  grain  in  a  society  where  the  in- 
dividual is  so  thoroughly  subordinated  to  the  state  and  to 
the  family  as  in  Japan.  To  most  of  the  Japanese  religion 
is  a  matter  of  custom  and  ritual  in  charge  of  the  head  of 
the  family,  whom  the  members  follow  and  obey  as  a 
matter  of  course.  Many  regard  the  state  as  having 
similar  authority  and  responsibility  in  religious  concerns. 
A  young  peasant  in  Aizu  who  had  begun  to  visit  our 
church  in  Wakamatsu  was  thus  rebuked  by  one  of  the 
elders  of  his  village:  "If  this  religion  were  good  for  the 
country,  the  government  would  tell  us  to  accept  it;  if  it 

77 


78  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

were  bad  the  government  would  forbid  it;  since  the  govern- 
ment is  silent,  manifestly  it  is  of  no  use  whatever." 

Decision  in  Favor  of  Freedom.  But  the  principle  of 
religious  liberty  has  been  included  in  the  Constitution  of 
1889,  which  says:  "Japanese  subjects  shall,  within  limits 
not  prejudicial  to  peace  and  order,  and  not  antagonistic 
to  their  duties  as  subjects,  enjoy  freedom  of  religious 
belief."  This  article  was  adopted  in  spite  of  violent  pro- 
tests. The  motive  that  turned  the  balance  in  its  favor  was 
the  desire  to  have  Japan  rank  with  the  most  advanced 
nations  of  the  world  in  this  as  in  other  respects. 

Three  Religions  in  One.  A  Japanese  is  easily  able 
to  profess  all  three  of  the  old  religions  of  the  country  at 
one  and  the  same  time.  Shinto  guards  the  interests  of 
the  nation  and  of  himself  as  belonging  to  it.  Confucian- 
ism tells  him  how  to  act.  And  Buddhism  cares  for  his 
soul  in  the  event  of  death.  He  sees  no  conflict  between 
them.  If  Christianity  could  just  be  added  to  the  com- 
bination, he  would  not  object  much  to  being  a  Christian. 
But  there  is  nothing  vague  or  indefinite  in  our  religion, 
and  it  claims  the  whole  of  a  man's  allegiance. 

No  Church.  The  most  important  fact  to  be  learned 
with  regard  to  the  old  religions  is,  that  they  do  not  have 
congregations;  there  are  no  regular  meetings  and  there 
is  no  preaching,  except  in  some  progressive  sects  that  have 
been  in  one  way  or  another  influenced  by  Christianity. 

Shinto* 

The  native  religion  is  called  Shinto.  Shin  is  a  Chinese 
word,  meaning  gods,  and  /o,  meaning  way,  doctrine  or 
principle,  is  identical  with  the  Tao  of  Chinese  Taoism. 
Shinto  is  "the  way  of  the  gods." 


Many  Gods  79 

Millions  of  €K>d8.  The  Japanese  word  for  **god'*  is 
kami.  Evidendy,  the  kami,  the  gods,  originally  repre- 
sented the  powers  of  nature.  Later,  national  heroes  were 
deified  and  added  to  the  pantheon.  Any  thing  or  person 
that  manifests  extraordinary  power  is  a  god.  When  on 
the  occasion  of  the  funeral  of  the  Emperor  Meiji,  Sep- 
tember 13,  1 91 2,  the  heroic  General  Nogi  dramatically 
committed  suicide.  Count  Terauchi,  the  present  prime 
minister,  expressed  his  sentiments  in  verse  to  this  effect, 
"Until  today  I  thought  him  to  be  an  extraordinary  man, 
but  he  was  truly  a  god  born  in  human  guise."  To  a 
Christian  such  language  is  shocking;  but  we  need  to 
remember  that  the  word  kami  does  not  mean  to  a  Japanese 
what  "God"  does  to  us.  A  common  expression  is  "the 
800  myriads  of  gods."  If  this  be  taken  literally,  in  Japan 
proper  there  is  on  the  average  one  god  for  every  family. 

One  "Way."  What  then  is  Shinto,  the  Way  of  the 
Gods?  The  word  "Way"  is  an  oriental  term  denoting 
religion  and,  it  will  be  recalled,  is  used  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment to  designate  the  Christian  religion,  as  in  Acts  ix:  2. 
Among  the  Japanese  the  word  signifies  the  habit  of  life 
that  is  characteristic  of  the  nation.  They  often  say  that 
their  history  is  their  Bible.  The  Rescript  on  Education 
says:  "The  Way  here  set  forth  is  indeed  the  teaching 
bequeathed  by  our  Imperial  Ancestors,  to  be  observed 
alike  by  all  their  descendants  and  subjects,  infallible  for 
all  ages  and  true  in  all  places." 

No  Clear  Teaching.  As  a  religion  Shinto  has  plenty 
of  gods,  but  little  else.  There  are  no  doctrines  or  pre- 
cepts, and  the  worship  is  extremely  simple.  The  develop- 
ment of  this  native  cult  was  early  arrested,  because  the 
elaborate  system  of  Buddhism  and  the  mature  ethics  of 


8o  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Confucianism  were  imported  from  the  continent  of  Asia 
before  the  Japanese  had  time  to  work  out  their  own  ideas. 
The  scholar  Motoori  (1730 — 1801)  gloried  in  this  lack  of 
definiteness.  The  Chinese  may  need  doctrines  and  pre- 
cepts, he  said,  but  the  Japanese  do  not,  because  they  are 
naturally  good.  This  reminds  us  of  the  remark  of  one  of 
the  unwashed  Chinese,  who  seeing  large  quantities  of 
water  being  carried  into  the  house  of  an  Englishman  in- 
quired what  all  that  water  was  for,  and  on  being  told 
that  it  was  for  the  bath  and  the  laundry,  said  that  the 
English  must  be  a  dirty  people  if  so  much  water  is  re- 
quired to  wash  them. 

The  Japanese  Genesis.  There  is  a  sacred  book  that 
somewhat  resembles  our  Book  of  Genesis.  It  is  called 
Ancient  Things  Record  (Ko-ji-ki)  and  was  written  out 
about  the  year  712  of  our  era.  This  book  was  no  doubt 
composed  in  its  present  form  by  way  of  opposition  to 
the  newly  imported  religions  of  the  times  and  was,  there- 
fore, largely  influenced  by  them.  It  describes  the  crea- 
tion as  a  process  of  births.  Some  of  the  stories  of  the 
gods  and  goddesses  as  given  in  the  Kojiki  are  so  indecent, 
or,  shall  we  say,  so  naive,  that  the  translator  dares  not 
put  them  into  English.  Among  the  deities  that  appeared 
on  earth  were  a  brother  and  sister,  Izanagi  and  Izanami, 
who  were  instructed  to  "make,  consolidate  and  give  birth 
to  the  floating  land."  This  pair  produced  Japan  and 
the  Japanese.  The  most  interesting  myths  are  those  of 
Heaven  Illumining  August  God  (Ama-terasu-o-mi-kami), 
the  goddess  said  to  have  been  the  ancestress  of  the  Emper- 
ors. Amaterasu  came  from  Izanagi's  left  eye  as  he  washed 
his  face  in  the  ocean.     She  is  the  goddess  of  the  sun. 

A  Native  Shrine.     A  real  Shinto  shrine  is  a  bare  un- 


Buddhist  Temple  and  Priest  near  Yamagata 


Many  Gods  8i 

painted  wooden  house.  In  front  there  is  always  a  portal 
(called  torit)  of  two  upright  wooden  posts  supporting  two 
cross-pieces.  The  shrine  itself  contains  no  image, — only 
a  mirror  and  offerings  made  of  twisted  straw  and  paper 
curiously  cut  in  zig-zag  shapes.  The  mirror,  if  it  means 
anything,  may  be  understood  to  signify  that  the  human 
heart  reflects  the  spirit  of  the  gods.  Sometimes  the  shrine 
is  double,  having  a  holy  of  holies  behind  the  holy  place. 
The  worshipper  washes  his  face  and  hands  in  the  holy 
water,  throws  a  bit  of  money  into  a  large  box  in  front  of 
the  sanctuary,  claps  his  hands  or  rings  a  bell  to  call  the 
attention  of  the  deity,  and  says  a  brief  prayer,  bowing  the 
head  and  clapping  and  rubbing  the  hands  together.  The 
prayer  may  be  written  on  a  piece  of  paper  which  is  twisted 
and  tied  to  the  lattice  in  front  of  the  sanctuary.  The 
simplicity  of  the  shrine  and  the  worship  is  such  that  some 
find  in  it  evidence  of  Hebrew  origin. 

The  Annual  Festival.  As  a  rule,  every  shrine  has 
its  annual  festival.  Often  the  deity  is  carried  through 
the  streets  in  a  shrine  on  wheels  or  in  a  great  palanquin, 
borne  on  the  shoulders  of  many  men.  The  sacred  object 
is  ordinarily  not  exposed  to  view.  Priests  clad  in  festal 
garments  go  before.  There  are  besides  crowds  of  attend- 
ants bearing  various  old  relics,  grotesquely  masked  per- 
formers making  weird  music,  and  floats  carrying  actors 
and  singing  girls  posturing  and  singing  to  the  accompani- 
ment of  flute  and  drum.  The  approaches  to  the  shrine 
are  decorated  with  lanterns,  flags,  and  evergreens.  In 
the  yard,  every  available  space  is  taken  by  vendors  of 
toys,  cakes,  and  various  knickknacks.  Historical  dramas 
are  acted  on  elevated  platforms  in  full  view  of  the  people. 
It  is  a  gay  and  noisy  picnic,  at  which  much  money  is  spent 


82  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

and  much  liquor  drunk;  but  there  is  scarcely  any  evidence 
of  real  religious  sentiment. 

Priests  of  Shinto.  Rarely  does  a  shrine  have  a  resi- 
dent priest.  There  are  five  shrines  to  every  priest  in  the 
country.  The  chief  function  of  the  priests  nowadays  is 
to  say  the  liturgy  at  festivals,  at  ceremonies  having  to  do 
with  the  Imperial  House,  or  at  commemorations  of  sol- 
diers who  have  laid  down  their  lives  for  their  country. 
There  are  many  new  shrines  called  **soul-inviting-altars'* 
(sho-kon-shd)y  in  which,  on  the  memorial  day,  the  souls 
of  the  heroes  who  died  in  battle  are  invited  to  reside  for 
awhile  and  receive  homage. 

Religion  of  Nationalism.  Shinto,  whatever  it  is, 
stands  for  Japanese  nationalism,  and  has,  therefore,  been 
made  a  rallying  standard  for  those  who  oppose  the  in- 
ternationalism of  Christianity,  namely,  the  imperialists 
and  militarists.  Uehara  in  his  "Political  Development 
of  Japan"  says  of  the  Emperor:  "He  is  to  the  Japanese 
mind  the  supreme  being  in  the  cosmos  of  Japan,  as  God  is 
in  the  universe  of  the  pantheistic  philosopher.  From  him 
everything  emanates;  in  him  everything  subsists;  there 
is  nothing  in  the  soil  of  Japan  existent  independent  of 
him."  This  is  clearly  applying  to  the  Emperor  terms 
which  Christians  use  in  speaking  of  God.  Mr.  Ushizuka, 
official  in  charge  of  the  ceremonies  connected  with  the 
proclamation  of  the  Crown  Prince,  November  3,  191 6, 
said:  "The  central  idea  of  the  Japanese  state  is  the  belief 
that  the  spirits  of  the  imperial  ancestors  continue  to  rule 
through  their  living  representatives."  That  is,  the  an- 
cestral spirits  have  their  abode  in  the  person  of  the  Em- 
peror, as  Christians  conceive  the  Spirit  of  God  to  have 
dwelt  in  Jesus. 


Many  Gods  83 

A  Perilous  Creed.  The  ascription  of  divinity  to  the 
Imperial  House  is  simply  one  expression  of  the  determina- 
tion of  the  militarists  to  absolutize  the  state,  and  of  their 
antagonism  to  a  religion  that  considers  even  the  Emperor 
as  subject  to  the  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords.  Log- 
ically thought  out,  the  contention  that  there  is  no  God 
above  the  Emperor  implies  the  purpose  ultimately  to 
bring  the  whole  world  into  subjection  to  the  Emperor, 
and  such  a  program,  if  history  has  any  lessons  to  teach  us, 
means  unceasing  war  and  the  final  destruction  of  so  pre- 
sumptuous a  nation.  But  the  people  as  a  whole  are 
really  not  much  in  sympathy  with  the  militaristic  minor- 
ity, and  will  probably  be  less  and  less  so  as  enlightened 
public  opinion  grows. 

A  Bold  Dissenter.  The  noted  Christian  author,  Mr. 
Uchimura,  a  professor  in  a  certain  school,  in  1890,  when 
the  Imperial  Rescript  on  Education  was  first  presented 
to  him  for  worship,  declined  to  bow  his  head.  For  this 
oftense  he  lost  his  position  and  has  ever  since  been  ex- 
cluded from  the  employ  of  the  government.  He  has  long 
been  publishing  a  monthly  magazine  called  "Bible  Study," 
which  has  a  large  circulation  and  reaches  many  Japanese 
who  are  not  connected  with  any  Christian  church. 

Disestablishment  of  Shinto.  In  1884,  the  govern- 
ment established  a  Bureau  of  Shrines  and  made  a  dis- 
tinction between  popular  religious  sects  connected  with 
Shinto,  and  the  shrines,  which  were  to  be  regarded  as 
mere  memorials  of  Imperial  Ancestors  and  national  heroes. 
The  priests  at  the  shrines  were  forbidden  to  render  dis- 
tinctively religious  services,  such  as  the  conduct  of  funer- 
als. The  motive  of  this  action  was  the  desire  to  disentan- 
gle religions  and  superstitions  from  patriotic  ceremonies 


84  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

and  make  it  possible  for  adherents  of  all  religions  to  take 
part  in  the  latter.  If  the  government  had  had  the  com- 
petence and  the  courage  really  to  secularize  the  shrines 
and  to  forbid  the  use  of  such  terms  as  "god,"  "prayer," 
and  the  like  in  connection  with  them,  it  might  have  been 
feasible  to  bring  it  about  that  to  bow  before  them  would 
have  the  same  significance  as  American  children's  saluting 
the  flag  or  decorating  a  soldier's  grave.  But  when  we 
read  in  the  newspaper  that  "tomorrow  morning  ceremonies 
will  be  held  at  one  of  the  Grand  Imperial  Shrines  at  Ise  for 
the  return  of  the  spirit  of  the  god  to  whom  that  shrine  is 
dedicated,"  and  then  read  that  school  children  are  mar- 
shalled by  their  teachers  and  made  to  "worship"  at  such  a 
shrine,  it  is  quite  plain  that  Japan  is  in  this  instance  not 
keeping  the  solemn  promise  made  that  her  people  should 
have  religious  liberty. 

Faith  Healing.  Of  the  various  sects,  which  are 
reckoned  as  belonging  to  Shinto,  there  is  space  to  name  but 
one.  The  "Heaven  Reason  Doctrine"  (Ten-ri-kyo)  is 
quite  conspicuous  in  Tohoku.  One  reason  for  the  rapid 
spread  of  Tenrikyo  is  its  rooting  itself  in  the  old  beliefs  of 
the  people.  The  official  records  claim  that  it  is  a  mono- 
theistic rdigion,  worshipping  one  god  who  has  ten  chief 
virtues;  but  the  believers  in  general  worship  the  8,000,000 
gods  and  give  di^nne  honors  to  the  Emperor.  Another 
reason  for  its  success  is  its  reputation  of  having  power  to 
heal  disease.  Tenrikyo  bears  some  resemblance  to 
Christian  Science  in  that  it  was  started  by  a  woman  about 
thirty-five  years  ago  and  teaches  the  doctrine  of  faith- 
healing.  The  converts  are  so  zealous  in  winning  others 
to  their  beliefs  that  in  the  short  time  since  the  founder, 
named  Nakayama-Miki,  began  to  proclaim  the  doctrines, 


Many  Gods  85 

the  number  of  adherents  has  become  three  and  a  half 
millions.  They  have  established  a  large  school  where 
men  are  trained  to  preach,  and  have  even  sent  missionaries 
to  England,  America,  and  the  South  Seas.  Two  or  three 
hundred  evangelists  are  sent  out  every  year.  These  re- 
ceive an  abundant  support  from  the  offerings  of  local 
believers,  who  often  impoverish  themselves  by  their 
liberal  giving.  Tenrikyo  is  strongest  in  southwestern 
Japan,  but  there  are  also  many  temples  and  many  believ- 
ers in  Tohoku.  Sendai  has  a  large  temple  near  the  center 
of  the  city,  but  it  is  supported  by  the  farmers  or  dwellers 
in  the  small  towns  in  the  vicinity  rather  than  by  the 
people  of  the  city  itself.  The  good  resulting  from  this 
new  religion  is  the  spread  of  the  teaching  that  much  of  the 
evil  and  suffering  of  the  world  is  due  to  sin. 

Confucianism. 

Next  to  Shinto  let  us  briefly  consider  the  Confucian 
system.  Naturally,  the  old  Chinese  civilization  influenced 
the  Japanese  almost  from  the  beginning  of  their  history. 
Chinese  letters  and  Confucian  classics,  it  is  recorded,  were 
introduced  to  the  Court  by  a  Korean  scholar  named 
Wani  early  in  the  fifth  century  of  our  era. 

Confucius'  Indifference  to  Religion.  The  great 
Chinese  sage  Confucius  (Kong-fu-tse),  who  lived  and 
taught  about  the  year  500  B.  C,  was  interested  more  in 
morality  than  in  religion.  Before  his  time  the  Chinese 
had  called  God  "Supreme  Ruler,"  (in  Chinese  Shang-ti,  in 
Japanese  Jo-tei),  but  he  did  not  use  this  word  He  seem- 
ed to  have  no  definite  conception  of  God.  He  preferred 
the  vaguer  term  ''Heaven."  For  himself,  he  had  a 
certain  faith  in  a  higher  power.    He  said,  "He  who  has 


86  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

offended  against  Heaven  has  none  to  whom  he  can  pray.*' 
When  he  was  threatened  he  said:  **While  Heaven  does  not 
let  the  cause  of  truth  perish,  what  can  the  people  of  Kwang 
do  to  me/"'  But  he  taught  that  we  men  need  not  trouble 
ourselves  about  religious  services,  if  we  live  a  right  moral 
life.  When  one  of  the  ministers  of  Lu  asked  him  what 
constituted  wisdom,  he  replied,  "To  give  one's  self  earnest- 
ly to  the  duties  due  to  men  and,  while  respecting  spiritual 
beings,  to  keep  aloof  from  them, — that  may  be  called 
wisdom." 

A  Compact  Social  System.  While  Confucius  cares 
only  for  man  in  the  present  world,  it  is  not  the  immortal 
and  infinitely  precious  individual  as  such,  but  man  as  part 
of  the  social  organism  that  concerns  him.  His  doctrine  is 
the  cement  that  binds  individuals  as  stones  in  one  solid 
social  structure.  In  himself,  the  individual  is  nothing,  for 
his  relationships  constitute  his  being.  The  emphasis  lies 
on  the  five  relations  of  ruler  and  subject,  father  and  son, 
elder  brother  and  younger  brother,  friend  and  friend, 
husband  and  wife.  The  last  of  the  five  was  not  in  Con- 
fucius' original  system,  but  was  added  later.  The  chief 
virtue  is  humanity,  and  love  to  parents  is  its  foundation. 
There  are  five  virtues,  namely,  humanity,  righteousness, 
propriety,  wisdom,  and  fidelity.  The  Confucian  system 
was  changed  in  Japan  by  putting  the  supreme  emphasis 
upon  loyalty  to  the  superior  instead  of  on  piety  toward 
one's  parents  and  by  exalting  the  military  virtues,  but  its 
essential  nature  was  not  changed. 

Influence  of  Confucianism.  This  doctrine,  in  de- 
fault of  anything  better,  has  been  eagerly  studied  and 
practiced  by  the  more  thoughtful  and  serious  men  of  the 
country.     While  Confucianism  is  a  religion  in  China,  it 


Many  Gods  87 

is  essentially  a  system  of  ethics  in  Japan.  There  are  no 
temples,  images,  congregations,  or  services.  There  is 
nothing  to  it  but  a  set  of  books.  Yet  it  has  had  a  pro- 
found influence.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  moral  earnest- 
ness which  is  due,  no  doubt,  to  that  influence. 

Bushido — a  Noble  Expression  of  the  Confucian 
Spirit.  As  has  been  said,  the  ruling  class  in  the  his- 
tory of  Japan  has  been  that  of  the  Samurai.  The  pre- 
vailing moral  code  of  the  people  today  is  called  * 'warrior 
knight  way'*  (Bu-shi-do).  This  Bushido  is  one  of  the 
Japanese  words  now  found  in  the  English  dictionary.  It 
does  not  consist  of  fixed  rules,  but  is  rather  an  unwritten 
code.  It  is  the  noblesse  oblige  of  the  warriors.  One  writer 
well  sums  up  the  ideal  in  the  words  "humility,  energy, 
dignity."  We  will  attempt  a  somewhat  more  minute 
analysis  of  the  ideal  of  knighthood. 

I.     Loyalty. 

This  is  due  first  of  all  to  the  Emperor  and  under  him 
to  the  lord  whom  one  more  immediately  serves.  One  of 
the  most  familiar  proverbs  says,  *'A  loyal  retainer  does 
not  serve  two  lords." 

1.     Gratitude. 

It  may  surprise  some  to  hear  that  this  is  a  Japanese 
characteristic,  but  it  is.  Some  Americans  who  have  had 
experience  with  the  Japanese  call  them  ungrateful.  Prob- 
ably the  fact  is  that  they  did  not  know  how  to  deal  with 
them.  The  doctrine  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  that 
the  spring  of  a  right  life  is  not  duty,  but  gratitude,  is  one 
that  is  readily  appreciated  by  the  Japanese. 

3.     Courage. 

Life  itself  is  to  be  surrendered  gladly  in  the  service  of 
the  lord.     An  American  cannot  fail  to  be  touched  by  the 


88  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

noble  words  of  a  young  warrior  of  ancient  times  to  the 
effect  that  he  wanted  to  die  in  battle  for  his  lord  and  feared 
nothing  so  much  as  dying  in  bed  before  he  had  a  chance  to 
sacrifice  his  life  for  the  object  of  his  devotion. 

4.  Justice. 

This  means  not  allowing  any  selfishness  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  one's  duty.  General  Nogi,  who  is  regarded  as 
the  pattern  of  Japanese  chivalry,  when  the  war  with  China 
broke  out  and  he  was  called  to  the  front,  left  home  in- 
stantly without  stopping  to  say  good-bye  to  his  wife,  and 
sternly  rebuked  her  for  presuming  to  follow  him  on  his 
way.  So,  too,  many  a  touching  story  is  told  of  a  woman's 
killing  herself  in  order  not  to  be  a  possible  cause  of  coward- 
ice to  a  soldier  at  the  front,  who  might  be  tempted  to 
hesitate  because  in  case  of  his  death  the  helpless  one  would 
have  to  suffer. 

5.  Truthfulness. 

A  knight  scorns  to  tell  a  lie  in  order  to  avoid  harm  or 
hurt  to  himself. 

6.  Politeness. 

It  is  the  mark  of  a  strong  man  to  be  polite  in  all  circum- 
stances, even  to  an  enemy.  Chivalry  toward  defeated 
enemies  has  been  a  marked  characteristic  of  the  Japanese 
in  our  own  time. 

7.  Reserve. 

No  matter  how  deeply  one  is  moved,  feelings  should 
not  be  shown. 

8.  Honor. 

Death  is  preferable  to  disgrace.  The  knight  always 
carried  two  swords,  a  long  one  to  fight  his  foes,  and  a  short 
one  to  turn  upon  his  own  body  in  case  of  a  blunder  or 
defeat. 


Many  Gods  89 

The  Dark  Side  of  Confucianism.  But  while  we 
gladly  recognize  the  beauty  of  the  Confucian  ideal,  we 
dare  not  shut  our  eyes  to  its  serious  defects. 

1.  A  Man-made  Morality. 

To  Confucianism  is  due  the  comparative  inability  of 
the  Japanese  to  act  properly  in  situations  not  anticipated 
in  the  code.  One  of  our  missionaries  after  preaching  a 
sermon  in  which  he  spoke  much  of  ^/  (righteousness),  was 
told  by  a  Japanese  friend,  who  heard  it,  **Your  idea  of 
righteousness  is  quite  different  from  ours;  to  us  righteous- 
ness is  faithfully  attending  to  that  which  is  requested  of 
or  committed  to  us  by  others."  In  a  moral  code  in  which 
God  has  no  real  part,  what  else  can  be  expected? 

2.  A  Perpendicular  Morality. 

Japan  is  today  utterly  unprepared  to  take  a  democratic 
view  of  life.  As  some  one  has  said,  Confucian  virtue  is 
perpendicular.  One  reason  why  the  American  finds  the 
Japanese  so  hard  to  deal  with  is,  that  the  latter  does  not 
share  his  conception  of  liberty  and  equality.  Generally 
in  relation  to  him  you  must  be  either  above  or  beneath 
him. 

3.  A  Fragmentary  Morality. 

No  ordinary  moral  law  is  allowed  to  hinder  the  perform- 
ance of  a  deed  required  in  the  interest  of  one's  superior. 
One  of  the  most  popular  stories  of  the  Japanese  is  that  of 
the  47  "righteous"  retainers  of  a  lord,  who  in  Tokyo  in 
1 70 1  was  grievously  wronged  and  done  to  death  by  an 
enemy.  The  leader  of  the  47,  who  was  expected  to  avenge 
the  wrong,  deliberately  abused  his  own  family  and  lived 
in  debauchery  in  order  to  escape  suspicion,  until  the 
opportunity  came  to  carry  the  vendetta  to  a  successful 
conclusion.     So  today  a  daughter  who  can  find  no  other 


90  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

way  to  get  money  to  buy  medicine  for  a  sick  father  or  to 
assist  in  the  education  of  a  brother  is  praised  as  a  heroine, 
if  she  sells  her  person  and  begins  a  life  of  shame.  Con- 
fucius says  nothing  to  stir  the  conscience  of  the  father 
or  brother  who  accepts  such  a  sacrifice. 

4.     Sacrifice  of  Womanhood. 

One  of  the  classics  of  Japan  is  the  Great  Learning  for 
Women  (Onna  Daigaku),  by  Kaibara-Ekken  (1630— 1714), 
a  Confucian  scholar.  In  this  little  book  the  ideal  set  before 
a  woman  is  absolute  submission  to  the  man  to  whom  she 
belongs  at  the  time.  A  woman's  whole  duty  is  summed 
up  in  "the  three  obediences,"  in  her  girlhood  to  her  father, 
after  marriage  to  her  husband,  and  in  case  of  widowhood 
to  her  eldest  son.  Confucius  is  directly  responsible  for 
the  attitude  of  Japanese  men  toward  their  women,  which 
is  injuring  themselves  and  their  country  quite  as  much  as 
the  women  who  are  wronged.  This  situation  is  the  more 
remarkable  when  we  consider  that  in  ancient  times,  before 
the  nation  was  so  deeply  influenced  by  continental  ideals, 
the  women  were  held  in  high  regard. 

Buddliisiii. 

Of  the  religions  of  the  world,  three  are  international  in 
spirit,  namely,  Christianity,  Buddhism,  and  Mohammed- 
anism. In  the  Asian  halt  of  the  world  Buddhism  is  the 
dominant  religion. 

Sakya  the  Buddha  a  Saintly  Character.  The 
name  "Buddha"  is  the  title  of  the  Indian  sage  Sakya 
(in  Japanese  called  Shaka)  as  "Christ"  is  the  title  of  Jesus. 
Buddha  means  the  "Enlightened  One."  Sakya  lived  and 
taught  about  500  B.  C,  at  the  same  time  that  the  Jewish 
nation  was  being  restored  after  the  exile  and  Confucius 


Many  Gods  91 

was  reforming  China.  He  was  a  prince  and  lived  in 
luxury  until  one  day  he  felt  impelled  to  solve  the  problem 
of  human  misery,  forsook  his  wife  and  child  and  became 
a  begging  monk. 

Doctrine  of  Endless  Rebirths.  As  Jesus  based  his 
doctrine  on  what  had  been  taught  by  the  prophets  of 
Israel,  so  Sakya  based  his  on  the  old  Indian  religion.  One 
ruling  idea  was  that  of  transmigration,  the  notion  that 
the  same  person  may  be  born  again  and  again  into  the 
world  in  different  forms.  One  who  suffers  now,  it  is 
assumed,  has  sinned  in  a  previous  stage  of  existence.  On 
the  other  hand,  good  life  now  will  enable  us  to  enter  upon 
a  higher  plane  of  life  in  the  next  birth.  Hence  Sakya, 
the  Buddha,  appeared  often  before  he  was  born  in  India, 
and  he  will  re-appear  over  and  over.  There  are  many 
buddhas. 

Gospel  of  Buddha.  Sakya  loved  the  common  people, 
and  it  was  the  aim  of  his  life  to  save  them.  For  himself, 
he  had  attained  enlightenment  and  peace  through  these 
considerations: 

1 .  Pain  is  universal. 

2.  The  root  of  pain  is  desire. 

3.  In  order  to  escape  from  pain,  desire  must  be  de- 
stroyed. 

4.  There  is  a  way  to  extinguish  desire.  He  refused 
to  engage  in  the  philosophical  discussions  in  which  the 
proud  Brahmans  delighted;  for  him  the  way  of  salvation 
was  simple  and  practical  and  open  to  anyone  having  the 
courage  to  enter.  Not  argument,  but  quiet  contempla- 
tion united  with  the  simplest  kind  of  life  was  his  method. 

A  favorite  parable  of  his  was  the  story  of  the  man  who 
had  been  shot  by  a  poisoned  arrow.     When  his  friends 


g2  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

suggested  treating  the  wound  he  began  to  ask  questions 
about  the  nature  of  the  arrow  and  the  bow  from  which 
it  came  and  the  man  who  shot  it  and  the  place  from  which 
he  came,  etc.  Sakya  said  he  would  die  before  the  questions 
could  be  answered.  So  men  must  be  saved  first.  Let 
them  argue  afterwards  if  they  care  to. 

The  Northern  Buddhism  Early  in  the  history  of 
Buddhism  appeared  a  great  division.  The  old  Buddhism, 
called  Small  Vehicle  (Hianyana).  is  now  found  chiefly  in 
southern  India  and  Ceylon.  The  new  system,  called 
Great  Vehicle  (Mahayana),  arose  through  the  absorption 
of  all  sorts  of  material  from  other  religions  of  which 
Central  Asia  had  knowledge  .  Much  of  the  appropriated 
material  is  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  fundamental 
principles  of  the  historic  Buddha.  The  Great  Vehicle  is 
the  form  of  Buddhism  that  prevails  in  China  and  neigh- 
boring lands,  including  Japan.  It  is  of  no  use  to  attempt 
to  describe  the  system,  because  it  consists  of  heterogen- 
eous and  inconsistent  elements. 

Accomtnodatioii  to  Popular  Views.  It  may  be  said, 
however,  that  while  the  Buddha  himself  discouraged 
prayer  or  any  kind  of  dependence  upon  a  higher  power, 
the  Great  Vehicle  has  developed  gods,  temples,  priests, 
vestments,  masses,  prayers,  rosaries  and  other  para- 
phernalia wonderfully  resembling  those  of  Roman  Cathol- 
icism. The  distinction  is  made  between  the  esoteric, 
the  real  true  doctrine  and  method  of  Buddha,  wh'ch  are 
too  difficult  for  common  people  to  understand  and  practice, 
and  the  exoteric,  the  religion  as  it  is  preached  to  the 
masses.  A  fable  is  told  of  a  good  man  who  noticed 
children  playing  in  a  house,  the  roof  of  which  had  caught 
fire,  and  seeing  that  if  he  told  them  the  truth  a  panic  would 


Many  Gods  93 

ensue,  called  them  to  come  and  see  the  pretty  toys  that 
he  had  brought,  so  that  all  were  happily  saved  and  later 
thanked  him  for  deceiving  them.  So  the  Buddhist 
scholar  says  that  heaven  and  hell  do  not  really  exist,  but 
it  is  good  for  the  ignorant  to  imagine  that  they  do. 

Rapid  Progress  of  Missions.  Buddhism  began  to 
penetrate  China  in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era. 
In  the  year  374,  missionaries  entered  Korea,  and  within 
a  century  and  a  half  that  land  had  become  Buddhistic. 
In  538,  a  Korean  king  sent  a  gilt  statue  and  scriptures  and 
works  of  art  to  the  Japanese  Court  with  a  message  com- 
mending the  new  doctrine.  The  progress  of  Buddhism 
was  the  more  rapid  because  with  the  missionaries  from 
India,  China,  and  Korea  came  physicians,  art  sans  and 
musicians.  It  is  significant  that  while  in  China  the  mis- 
sionary method  had  been  literary,  attention  being  given 
mainly  to  translating  Buddhist  classics,  in  Japan  the 
method  was  practical.  The  missionaries  taught  the 
Japanese  how  to  construct  harbors,  canals,  roads,  and 
bridges.  The  new  movement  helped  to  civilize  and  unify 
the  country.  An  asylum,  a  hospital  and  a  dispensary 
were  attached  to  a  temple  built  in  593.  In  the  regency 
of  Prince  Shotoku,  which  began  in  the  same  year,  Budd- 
hism became  the  State  Church.  Accordingly,  this  Prince 
is  called  the  Constantine  of  Japan. 

The  First  Revival  (800  A.  D.).  A  great  revival,  oc- 
curing  about  the  year  800,  developed  the  two  sects  Tendai 
and  Shingon,  which  are  the  oldest  denominations  of  any 
importance  in  Japan  today.  These  two  bodies,  combated 
as  they  have  been  by  successive  generations  of  more 
progressive  Buddhists,  are  no  longer  in  the  front  rank, 
but  even  now  after  more  than  a  thousand  years,  they 
claim  17,000  temples  and  4,500,000  adherents. 


94  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

The  Second  Revival  (1200  A.  D.).  The  newer  sects 
of  Japanese  Buddhism  owe  their  comparative  success  to 
their  attempts  to  simplify  the  religion  of  Buddha  and  de- 
liver it  from  the  enormous  load  of  miscellaneous  old  spec- 
ulations and  superstitions  that  are  carried  by  Tendai  and 
Shingon,  whose  sacred  scriptures  are  said  to  number 
6,771  books. 

Zen  a  Mystical  Religion.  The  Zen  sects,  as  they  are 
called,  represent  a  reaction  against  the  multiplication  of 
books  and  paraphernalia.  To  get  enlightenment,  say 
the  teachers,  it  is  of  little  use  to  read  and  study  about  it; 
one  must  practice  Zen  (meditation),  as  Sakya  did.  This 
system  is  rightly  called  Buddhistic  mysticism.  There 
are  two  principal  sects,  Rinzai^  which  depends  wholly 
on  contemplation,  and  Sodo,  which  uses  books  as  subsid- 
iary aids. 

Education  for  Priesthood.  Sodo  is  the  strongest  sect 
in  Sendai  and  one  of  the  strongest  in  all  Tohoku.  It  has 
the  only  Buddhist  school  in  this  region,  one  of  the  four 
seminaries  of  the  sect.  The  students  are  nearly  all 
candidates  for  the  priesthood.  Some  of  them  take 
charge  of  temples  immediately  after  graduation,  others 
go  up  to  the  university  of  the  sect  in  Tokyo.  There 
are  besides  four  or  five  places  in  connection  with  temples 
where  boys  are  trained  for  the  priesthood.  They  may 
enter  at  the  age  of  thirteen  and  become  acolytes.  After 
three  years  they  may  become  superiors.  After  that, 
but  not  under  twenty-one,  they  may  become  full  priests. 
Usually  the  poorer  young  men  enter  the  priesthood  in 
this  manner,  while  the  more  well-to-do  study  at  the 
seminary. 

Intelligent  Adherents.     All  kinds  of  people  belong 


Many  Gods  95 

to  the  Zen  sect,  though  of  course  "belonging"  means 
mostly  to  be  connected  with  a  certain  temple  for  burial 
purposes.  But  there  are  also  people  who  take  a  real 
interest  in  the  matter.  Among  these  are,  first  of  all,  the 
military,  who  buy  a  great  many  of  the  books  of  the  sect; 
but  lawyers  also  and  physicians,  and  other  educated 
men  are  interested.  President  Hojo  of  the  Tohoku  Im- 
perial University  is  a  devotee,  and  he  often  goes  to  Tokyo 
to  join  friends  in  the  study  and  practice  of  Zen,  or  he 
gathers  some  friends  and  goes  to  Matsushima  with  them 
tor  a  season  of  devotion.  People  get  together  and  alter- 
nately study  books  and  practice  contemplation.  Often 
deep  breathing  is  connected  with  the  practice. 

The  "Quiet  Session."  One  popular  fad  of  today 
may  be  named  in  connection  with  Zen,  since  it  is  some- 
what related  to  it.  It  is  called  "quiet  session"  (Seiza) 
and  is  said  to  be  a  cure  for  all  ills,  mental  or  physical. 
With  the  Buddhistic  idea  that  the  mind  must  be  made 
vacant,  there  is  combined  the  old  physiological  notion 
that  the  lower  abdominal  region  is  the  very  heart  of  the 
body  and  the  seat  of  the  soul.  Here  the  blood  tends  to 
accumulate  and  become  stagnant.  To  remedy  this,  one 
sits  on  his  heels  in  the  Japanese  fashion  and  practices 
a  certain  way  of  breathing,  exerting  pressure  on  the  abdo- 
men while  taking  a  deep  breath,  at  the  same  time  com- 
posing the  mind  and  emptying  it  of  all  thought.  This 
is  practiced  in  company  with  others  or  alone.  After  a 
little  while  the  muscles  begin  to  twitch  in  a  characteristic 
way.  Seiza  probably  is  more  or  less  beneficial  to  some 
people,  but  when  it  is  all  the  religion  that  a  man  has,  it 
produces  a  self-centered  character  very  different  from  the 
Christian  type. 


g6  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Nichiren  the  Fighting  Sect.  There  is  also  a  militant 
Buddhism.  Nichiren  (1222— 1282),  a  monk  of  the  Shingon 
sect,  was  stirred  by  the  deplorable  conditions  of  his  age  to 
attempt  to  reform  society.  He  was  influenced  by  a 
passage  in  one  of  the  scriptures  to  the  effect  that  it  is 
better  to  use  force  than  to  let  people  fall  into  hell.  When 
the  various  sects  refused  to  follow  his  directions  he  began 
to  persecute  them.  He  was  also  distressed  at  the  divided 
condition  of  the  nation,  the  Emperor  at  Kyoto,  and  the 
Shogun  at  Kamakura.  In  one  of  his  early  sermons  he 
said:  "Awake,  men,  awake,  and  look  around  you.  Look 
at  the  heaven  above  you:  there  are  no  two  suns  in  the 
sky.  Look  at  the  earth  at  your  feet:  no  two  kings  can 
rule  a  country."  It  was  just  in  the  time  of  Nichiren  that 
Japan  was  threatened  by  the  Mongols  in  China  and  Korea. 
Nichiren  took  advantage  of  this  situation  to  stir  up  in 
the  hearts  of  the  Japanese  a  sense  of  nationality.  He 
is  sometimes  called  the  Luther  of  Japanese  Buddhism. 
The  Nichirenists  have  5,150  temples  and  about  1,500,000 
adherents.  The  devotees  repeat  the  motto,  "Glory  to 
the  Wonderful  Law  of  the  Sutra  of  the  Lotus"  (Namu 
Myoho  Rengekyo),  in  the  way  that  the  Salvation  Army 
uses  the  words,  "Hallelujah,  Amen."  They  are  fanatical 
and  violent. 

Salvation  by  Faith  in  Amida.  The  majority  of  the 
Buddhists  of  Tohoku  belong  to  sects  that  resemble  Pro- 
testant Christians  in  that  they  teach  salvation  by  faith. 
They  worship  a  deity  called  Amida.  This  Amida  bears 
a  striking  resemblance  to  Christ.  We  may  look  into  the 
reason  for  this  in  the  next  chapter.  While  Buddha  him- 
self taught  that  we  must  save  ourselves,  hosts  of  Japanese 
Buddhists  believe  in  salvation  by  the  power  of  Amida. 


Many  Gods  97 

While  Sakya  taught  the  doctrine  of  the  "Holy  Path," 
theirs  is  the  doctrine  of  the  *Ture  Land"of  Jodo,  which  is 
paradise,  or  heaven,  far,  far  away  in  the  west  where  the 
sun  sets.  The  lord  of  this  paradise  is  a  Buddha  named 
Amida,  who  was  probably  a  sun-god  originally. 

The  distinctive  excellence  of  Amida  is  that  he  vowed 
not  to  be  saved  himself  until  all  who  would  call  upon  him 
might  be  saved.     This  is  called  **the  original  vow." 

The  "Creed  of  Half  Japan."  This  religion  of  Jodo 
was  founded  by  a  priest  of  the  Tendai  sect,  named  Honen 
(i  133— 1 21 2),  whose  pupil  Shinran  (i  173—1262),  gave 
final  shape  to  it.  The  followers  of  Shinran  call  them- 
selves the  true  (Shin)  Sect.  Popularly  they  are  named 
after  the  chief  temple  in  the  former  capital  of  Japan, 
the  "Original  Vow  Temple"  (Hongwanji).  There  are 
almost  20,000  temples  and  over  13,000,000  adherents 
connected  with  Hongwanji. 

Japanese  Popes.  The  East  Hongwanji  and  the  West 
Hongwanji  of  Kyoto  have  had  immense  revenues  and  are 
correspondingly  corrupt  and  prolific  of  scandals.  The 
abbots  live  in  luxury  and  manifest  a  spirit  more  like  that 
of  a  Pope  of  Europe  than  that  of  Buddha.  In  the  north, 
believers,  even  in  our  own  times,  feel  such  reverence  for 
the  person  of  the  abbot  that  water  in  which  he  has  bathed 
is  bottled  and  sold  for  medicine. 

Devoutness  of  the  Shm  Sect.  Yet  this  is  the  most 
spiritual  of  the  religions  of  Japan.  Thousands  are  com- 
forted by  their  faith  in  Amida.  They  are  taught  by 
Shinran  not  to  pray  for  happiness  in  the  present  life,  but 
to  put  their  whole  trust  in  Amida,  who  will  give  them 
eternal  bliss,  if  they  truly  believe.  They  bear  witness 
to  their  faith  by  repeating  over  and  over  the  words. 


98  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

"Glory  to  Amida,  the  Buddha"  (Namu  Amida  But5u),  in 
their  private  devotions  and  by  way  of  ejaculation  when 
they  hear  public  sermons  and  prayers.  Two  days  every 
month,  the  anniversaries  of  the  death  of  the  founder  and 
of  the  previous  abbot,  are  kept  as  fasts,  with  preaching. 
There  are  also  a  catechism  and  hymns  composed  by 
Shinran. 

An  Instance  of  Vital  Faith.  President  Harada  in 
his  book,  "The  Faith  of  Japan,"  tells  of  a  touching  con- 
fession taken  almost  word  for  word  from  the  lips  of  an 
uneducated  woman  80  years  of  age:  "I  am  old  and  I  am 
a  woman,  and  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  a  woman  will 
know  much  of  such  subjects,  but  I  will  tell  you  what 
thoughts  I  have.  I  am  weak  and  sinful,  and  have  no 
hope  in  myself;  my  hope  is  all  in  Amida  Buddha.  I 
believe  him  to  be  the  Supreme  Being.  Because  of  the 
wickedness  of  man,  and  because  of  human  sorrow,  Amida 
Buddha  became  incarnate  and  came  to  the  earth  to  de- 
liver man;  and  my  hope  and  the  world's  hope  is  to  be 
found  only  in  his  suffering  love.  He  has  entered  humanity 
to  save  it;  and  he  alone  can  save.  He  constantly  watch- 
es over  and  helps  all  who  trust  in  him.  I  am  not  in  a 
hurry  to  die,  but  I  am  ready  when  my  time  comes;  and 
I  trust  that  through  the  gracious  love  of  Amida  Buddha 
I  shall  then  enter  into  the  future  life,  which  I  believe  to 
be  a  state  of  conscious  existence,  and  where  I  shall  be  free 
from  sorrow.  I  believe  that  he  hears  prayers,  and  that 
he  has  guided  me  thus  far,  and  my  hope  is  only  in  his 
suffering  love."  It  is  significant  that  her  son,  a  success- 
ful business  man,  is  a  Christian. 

Aggressiveness  of  the  New  Buddhism.  It  is  main- 
ly this  sect  that  sends  missionaries  to  various  countries 


Many  Gods  99 

about  the  Pacific.  In  our  own  Pacific  States  there  are 
24  Japanese  Buddhist  temples  with  25  priests  and  over 
10,000  members. 

There  are  now  in  Japan  eleven  so-called  Buddhist 
universities,  which  are  really  theological  seminaries, 
having  over  1,000  students.  In  memory  of  the  Countess 
Otani,  consort  of  the  abbot  of  West  Hongwanji  and  sister 
of  the  Empress,  a  Buddhist  university  for  women  is  being 
founded  at  Kyoto. 

The  more  progressive  Buddhist  sects  are  imitating 
the  methods  of  Christianity.  Buddhist  temples  are 
being  built  more  like  churches;  there  are  young  people's 
Buddhist  societies  and  Buddhist  Sunday  Schools.  The 
trouble  is  that,  while  the  forms  can  be  imitated,  Buddhism 
has  no  distinctive  religious  message  that  children  can 
understand.  In  the  so-called  Sunday  Schools  the  child- 
ren are  taught  moral  maxims  and  told  more  or  less  edify- 
ing stories.  For  music  the  Buddhists  simply  use  the 
Christian  hymnal  and  change  a  few  words,  teaching  the 
children  to  sing  like  this: 

**Buddha  loves  me:  this  I  know; 
For  the  Sutra  tells  me  so." 

The   Old   Buddhism   Busy   with   Funerals.      The 

ordinary  priest  is  busy  with  the  dead,  rather  than  with 
the  living.  He  is  a  funeral  specialist.  Dressed  in  gaudy 
robes,  with  shaven  head  and  solemn  mien,  he  kneels 
before  the  family  altar  and  intones  his  ancient  liturgy, 
the  words  of  which  his  hearers  certainly  do  not,  and  he 
himself,  probably,  does  not  understand,  punctuating  the 
phrases  by  sounding  a  little  bell  or  gong  now  and  then. 
In  a  Buddhist  funeral,  the  coffin  is  of  a  cubical  form;  for 


loo  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

the  corpse  is  made  to  sit  up  after  the  manner  of  a  Buddha. 
The  bier  is  carried  through  the  streets  on  the  shoulders 
of  men  dressed  in  white,  which  is  the  color  of  mourning. 
At  the  head  of  the  procession  a  long  streamer  announcing 
the  name  of  the  deceased  is  displayed  on  a  tall  pole. 

A  Buddhist  Temple.  A  service  may  be  held  before 
the  altar  in  the  temple.  The  temple,  in  contrast  with  a 
Shinto  shrine,  is  open,  roomy  and  decorated,  often  quite 
gorgeously.  The  priests  face  the  altar  and  the  mourners 
sit  on  the  matting  on  either  side  of  them.  The  candles, 
incense,  etc.,  would  remind  one  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  The  big  bell  is  under  a  shed  separate  from  the 
temple.  It  does  not  swing  as  a  church-bell  does,  but  is 
sounded  by  a  blow  from  a  log,  which  is  hung  from  the 
roof  beside  it.  Somewhere  in  the  yard  are  posted  up 
rows  of  wooden  tablets  proclaiming  the  names  and  the 
amount  of  the  gifts  of  the  supporters  of  the  temple  the 
last  time  it  was  repaired. 

The  Worship  of  Ancestors.  The  pious  family  has 
its  altar  {butsu-dari)  enshrining  wooden  sticks,  on  which 
are  written  the  heavenly  names  (new  names  given  by 
the  priest  at  the  time  of  the  decease)  of  the  departed  ones. 
To  these  offerings  of  food  are  made.  The  priest  comes 
to  say  masses  on  the  49th  day,  the  looth  day  and  on 
certain  anniversary  days,  the  ist,  3rd,  7th,  13th,  etc. 
The  happiness  of  the  departed  souls  depends  upon  the 
kind  of  treatment  that  they  receive  from  the  living. 
Hence,  it  is  considered  a  most  important  duty  to  keep  up 
the  family  line,  in  order  that  the  dead  may  be  comforted. 
On  the  other  hand,  ancestors  are  believed  to  have  super- 
natural power  to  bless  or  to  curse.  Lafcadio  Hearn  well 
says  that  "the  dead,  rather  than  the  living,  have  been 


K" 

P"  '^ 

l^iii' 

f       ^ 

P 

■^UP^S€^-fj     : 

1 

f  5 

11 — 

iiiiHH 

hI' 

1 

1 

r%'' •-'•■'> 

ifLm __ 

uiMU'i^^^i 

iLr 

Many  Gods  loi 

the  rulers  of  the  nation."  Whether  a  Christian  may 
join  in  the  worship  of  ancestors  or  not  has  been  a  difficult 
question  to  answer,  because  it  is  so  hard  to  draw  the  line 
between  simply  paying  them  the  respect  that  is  due  and 
acting  as  if  they  had  some  of  that  power  and  glory  that 
belong  only  to  the  Almighty. 

Idolatry  the  Religion  of  the  Masses.  The  Japanese 
masses  have  no  knowledge  of  religion,  except  what  they 
unconsciously  absorb  from  the  general  atmosphere. 
Practically,  they  are  idolatrous  and  superstitious  pagans. 
If  it  be  asked  what  the  difference  is  between  real  Christian- 
ity and  paganism  it  is  this:  Christians  make  God  supreme 
and  seek  to  serve  Him,  while  pagans  have  many  gods  to 
serve  their  own  various  interests.  To  the  common  people 
religion  means  praying  to  one  god  for  success  in  business 
(even  if  that  business  be  criminal),  to  another  for  the 
cure  of  a  certain  disease,  and  so  on.  Such  paganism  is 
found  in  Christian  Europe  too,  where  St.  Elmo  guards 
the  sailors,  St.  Vitus  cures  chorea,  and  so  forth.  We  do 
not  use  the  word  "pagan"  in  a  contemptuous  spirit. 
But  facts  are  facts.  President  Harada  quotes  an  in- 
vestigator who  studied  the  prayers  offered  at  a  certain 
popular  shrine  in  Echigo  and  found  that  of  9,860  petitions 
7,109  were  for  the  prosperity  of  families;  1,007  ^or  safety; 
717  for  success,  and  269  for  health. 

Pilgrimages  and  Penances.  Very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing of  a  cool  day  in  autumn  the  writer  passing  through  a 
certain  village,  near  Sendai,  noticed  the  men  of  the 
place  standing  unclothed  about  a  small  fire  that  they 
had  built  on  the  bank  of  the  canal.  Afterwards  he  asked 
one  of  them  what  they  had  been  doing.  The  explana- 
tion was,  that  representatives  of  the  village  had  gone  on 


I02  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

a  pilgrimage  to  the  Mountain  of  the  Moon  (Gwassan),  a 
holy  place  in  Yamagata  Prefecture,  and  were  that  night 
making  the  ascent.  To  share  in  the  merit  and  obtain 
prosperity,  the  men  who  had  stayed  at  home  were  doing 
penance  by  bathing  in  the  canal  at  frequent  intervals. 
At  a  certain  Buddhist  temple  in  Aizu,  it  is  the  custom 
that  the  men  spend  the  coldest  night  in  winter  unclothed, 
engaging  in  wrestling  to  keep  themselves  warm.  This 
insures  health,  it  is  claimed. 

A  God  of  Fire.  On  any  street  in  Wakamatsu  may  be 
seen  a  stone  pillar  marked  "the  security  of  this  town." 
In  a  pocket,  carved  in  the  stone,  protected  from  the 
weather  by  a  pane  of  glass,  is  a  paper  certifying  that  the 
shrine  of  a  god  (Atago)  among  the  distant  mountains 
has  been  duly  visited  by  representatives  of  the  ward,  and 
he  will  preserve  the  town  from  fire. 

The  Horses*  Goddess.  Not  far  from  the  city  is  a 
little  temple  dedicated  to  the  goddess  of  mercy  (Kwan- 
non)  and  around  it  is  a  circular  path  like  a  race-track. 
On  the  festival  day  in  spring,  all  the  horses  of  the  country- 
side are  gathered  and  made  to  trot  around  and  around; 
for  this  goddess  loves  horses  and  cares  for  them. 

The  Kindly  Jizo.  A  very  popular  idol  is  Jizo,  savior 
from  afflictions.  He  is  believed  to  help  those  who  suffer 
in  purgatory,  to  guard  warriors  and  travelers,  and  to  save 
women  in  childbirth.  He  also  is  said  to  deliver  children 
in  hades,  who  are  forced  to  pile  up  pagodas  of  pebbles 
only  to  have  them  knocked  about  by  demons.  Hence, 
it  is  customary  to  pile  pebbles  on  the  idol  of  Jizo,  lest  he 
forget. 

Patroness  of  the  Little  Ones.  Another  lover  of 
children   is    the   goddess    Kishibojin.     Originally   she   is 


Many  Gods  103 

said  to  have  been  an  ogress  who  devoured  one  baby  a 
day.  Converted  by  Buddha  she  now  atones  for  her  past 
misdeeds  by  helping  the  children.  Pomegranates  are 
offered  to  her  because  this  fruit  is  said  to  have  the  odor 
of  the  flesh  of  a  child. 

The  Healer  Fudo.  Fudo,  whose  image  has  a  back- 
ground of  flames,  heals  diseases.  Near  Wakamatsu, 
under  a  beautiful  waterfall,  is  a  shrine  dedicated  to  a 
Fudo,  who  is  said  to  have  the  power  to  heal  the  eyes. 
On  the  festival  day  crowds  go  to  this  shrine  to  offer  their 
homage  to  Fudo,  bathing  their  eyes  in  the  cascade  and 
wiping  them  on  a  few  dirty  towels  hanging  there,  which, 
no  doubt,  reek  with  germs.  One  night  the  writer  ac- 
companied by  a  Christian  Japanese  oculist  of  the  city, 
visited  the  place  and  found  an  ignorant  woman,  who  had 
come  many  miles  carrying  on  her  back  a  child  that  was 
going  blind.  The  oculist  begged  her  to  let  him  treat  the 
eyes  for  nothing;  but  the  woman  refused  the  offer,  unable 
to  understand  anything  so  disinterested,  and  afraid  of 
some  dark  design  behind  the  apparent  sympathy.  She 
spent  the  night  burning  candles  in  honor  of  Fudo.  The 
oculist  said  sadly :**The  child  will  lose  its  eyes,  but  I 
could  save  them." 

Time  would  fail  us  if  we  tried  to  describe  popular 
idolatry  in  Tohoku;  for  there  seems  to  be  a  god  for  every 
purpose   imaginable. 

Lessons  Learned  from  Buddhism. 

I.     Need  of  Salvation. 

Buddhism  has  impressed  upon  people  the  need  of  a 
spiritual  salvation.  To  be  sure,  this  is  not  so  much  sal- 
vation from  personal  sin  as  from  eternal  misery,  but  it 
means  a  great  deal  that  the  need  is  felt. 


I04  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

2.  Equality  of  Men. 

Whatever  democratic  spirit  the  Japanese  have,  comes 
largely  from  Buddhism.  Especially  the  Shin  sect,  in 
opening  the  way  of  salvation  to  all  believers  and  abolish- 
ing the  distinction  between  clergy  and  laity  by  giving 
up  the  prohibition  of  the  marriage  of  priests,  has  had  a 
powerful  influence  in  this  direction. 

3.  Importance  of  Sacrifice. 

The  readiness  of  the  people  to  sacrifice  themselves  in 
a  cause  that  appeals  to  them  is  due  to  the  influence  of 
Buddhism.  To  be  sure,  the  conception  of  sacrifice  is  oft- 
en grotesque,  as  when  funerals  are  celebrated  in  honor  of 
horses  or  dogs,  who  have  unconsciously  given  up  their 
lives  in  the  military  service.  But  admiration  of  sacrifice 
is  a  trait  that  brings  the  people  very  near  the  Kingdom. 

A  Christ-like  Hero.  The  story  of  Sakura-Sogoro, 
of  a  rural  district  in  the  province  of  Shimosa,  east  of 
Tokyo,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  Christ-like  in- 
stances of  sacrifice  for  a  people  to  be  found  in  history. 
When  the  peasants  of  the  district  of  which  he  was  the 
head  were  threatened  with  starvation  and  death  on 
account  of  the  tyrannous  taxes  imposed  by  the  feudal 
lord,  Sakura  resolved  to  appeal  directly  to  the  Shogun 
at  Edo  (now  Tokyo),  though  terrible  death  was  the  pen- 
alty for  such  presumptuous  action.  He  succeeded  in 
calling  the  attention  of  the  government  to  the  matter  and 
delivering  his  people,  but  he  and  his  whole  family  were 
crucified  and  sufl^ered  a  most  horrible  death.  The  spirit 
which  was  shown  by  Sakura  before  his  death  was  ad- 
mirable; but  the  story  goes  that  after  his  death  his  ghost 
inflicted  exquisite  torments  on  his  persecutors. 

Defects  of  Buddhism.     One  must  admire  the  gentle 


Many  Gods  105 

merciful  Buddha,  but  his  premises  were  wrong  and  history 
shows  that  his  system  in  the  long  run  fails. 

1.  Multiplication  of  Gods. 

The  fundamental  error  of  his  Indian  philosophy  is  the 
failure  to  distinguish  clearly  between  God  and  the  world. 
If  the  world  is  God  and  everything  is  divine,  then  anything 
may  be  a  god  or  buddha.  A  great  scholar  has  said, 
"Pantheism  in  theory  means  polytheism  in  practice."  So 
Buddhism  has  become,  as  Dr.  Schneder  says  in  his  mono- 
graph on  the  subject,  "the  most  elaborate  system  of 
idolatry  in  the  world." 

2.  Degradation  of  Men. 

Moreover,  the  denial  of  the  one  free  personal  God  in- 
volves the  denial  of  the  worth  of  human  personality,  and 
the  soul  becomes  an  evanescent  bubble  floating  on  the 
ocean  of  existence.  The  notion  that  the  same  thing  may 
blush  in  the  cherry-blossoms  at  one  time  and  at  another 
appear  as  a  man  cheapens  humanity  and  is  demoralizing. 

3.  Weak  Sense  of  Sin. 

In  a  system  of  thought  in  which  God  is  the  world  and 
everything  is  God,  there  can  be  no  proper  sense  of  sin. 
Japan  lacks  the  vision  that  was  given  to  the  prophets  of 
the  Old  Testament,  of  a  holy  and  just  God,  and,  there- 
fore, penitence  cannot  be  very  real  or  deep. 

4.  Tendency  to  Suicide. 

To  a  Japanese  self-murder  seems  to  atone  for  any 
wrong  and  wipe  out  any  disgrace.  Especially  common 
is  the  double  suicide  of  lovers  {shinjti)y  the  idea  being 
that  those  who  cannot  live  together  in  the  present  life 
may,  if  they  die  together,  be  united  in  the  next  stage  of 
existence. 


io6  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

5.  Lack  of  Interest  in  This  Life. 

To  a  Buddhist,  religion  is  chiefly  a  matter  of  preparing 
for  the  next  world.  The  ambition  of  the  average  man 
is  to  succeed  in  his  business,  acquire  a  competence,  and 
retire  at  the  age  of  about  45,  in  order  that  he  may  spend 
the  rest  of  his  life  in  religious  devotion.  It  is  a  common 
saying  that  religion  is  for  those  who  earn  more  than  they 
need  to  live. 

6.  Indifference  to  Morality. 

Buddhism  is  not  a  positive  moral  force.  A  writer 
in  the  Japan  Evangelist  tells  of  an  interview  that  he  had 
with  a  young  Buddhist.  **By  religion  I  mean  something 
that  produces  peace  of  mind  in  the  midst  of  conditions 
as  they  are."  The  writer  inquired:  **Do  you  mean  that 
your  religion  makes  no  demand  for  the  reform  of  personal 
and  social  morals?"  The  reply  was  immediate  and  clear: 
"My  religion  has  nothing  to  do  with  morals,  it  is  pure 
religion."  "What  about  intemperance  and  prostitution?" 
"According  to  circumstances  they  are  necessary  and 
proper.  In  fact,  my  chief  objection  to  Christianity  is 
that  it  always  brings  up  just  such  issues,  which  have  no 
connection  with  religion." 

7.  Deception  of  the  Common  People. 

One  of  the  worst  indictments  to  be  brought  against 
Buddhism  is  its  deliberate  insincerity  toward  the  ignor- 
ant. It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  missionary,  after  he 
has  preached,  may  be  asked  by  an  educated  man:  *T 
have  heard  and  enjoyed  the  sermon.  Now  please  tell 
me  what  Christianity  really  is,  what  you  really  believe." 

A  Religion  of  Despair*  In  the  history  of  Buddhism 
there  are  some  beautiful  chapters,  but  this  religion  does 
not  deal  thoroughly  and  resolutely  with  the  evil  that  is 


Many  Gods  107 

in  the  world.  Christianity,  while  fully  aware  of  the 
enormity  of  that  evil,  boldly  attacks  it  with  serene  con- 
fidence in  final  triumph.  **This  is  the  victory  that  hath 
overcome  the  world, — our  faith."  Buddhism  seems  to 
have  no  will  to  overcome,  it  rather  tries  to  escape.  Its 
spirit  is  well  represented  by  the  story  of  the  saint  whose 
mummy  is  the  glory  of  a  certain  temple  in  Sakata.  This 
man,  it  is  said,  fled  from  society  and  lived  a  life  of  penance 
in  the  mountains,  eating  such  things  as  the  bark  of  trees. 
On  account  of  his  holiness  and  his  extraordinary  diet, 
after  death,  his  body  did  not  decay,  but  naturally  dried 
up.  Hence,  his  mummy  is  worshipped.  How  can  a 
religion  that  cherishes  an  ideal  of  this  sort  endue  the 
Japanese  with  power  to  solve  the  problems  that  press 
upon  them  today? 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 


IV. 

GLEAMS  OF  THE  SUN  OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS 

Introduction:  Christian  Influence  Not  Limited  to  Missionary  Work. 

1.  Probability  of  Much  Unrecognized  Influence  of  Christianity 

upon  Asia. 

2.  Jewish  and  Christian  Influence  Felt  in  China;  Nestorianism. 

3.  Recognizable  Christian  Elements  in  Japanese  Buddhism. 

A.  "Catholic"  Missions: 

1.  Roman    Catholic:  Xavier    the   Pioneer,   Quick    Success    and 

Sudden  Failure,  Embassy  Sent  by  Prince  Date  of  Sendai 
to  Rome,  Persecutions  in  Tohoku  and  Elsewhere,  Con- 
cealed 250  Years,  Present  State  and  Policy. 

2.  Greek  Orthodox:  Bishop  Nicolai's  Work  Among  the  North- 

erners, Cathedral  in  Tokyo,  Condition  in  Tohoku. 

B.  Protestant  Missions: 

I    Cooperating:  Three    Principal    Denominations,    Differences, 
Union. 

a.  Presbyterian-Reformed. 

(i)  General  History:  Dutch  Reformed,  Northern 
Presbyterian,  Union,  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyo- 
kwai,  A  Purely  Japanese  Church,  Pastor 
Uemura,  Board  of  Missions,  Growth. 

(2)  History  in  Tohoku:  Mr  Oshikawa,  "German" 
and   "Dutch"    Missions,   Present   State. 

b.  Congregationalist:  Beginnings,  Dr.   DeForest's  Work, 

Niigata  Prefecture. 

c.  Methodist:  Bishop  Honda's  Work,  Present  State. 

d.  Baptists  and  Disciples:  Pioneer  Work,  A  Girls'  School, 

Churches,  Policy. 

2.  Exclusive: 

a.  Episcopalians:  Principles   and   Activities 

b.  Seventh-Day  Adventists. 

3.  Auxiliary: 

a.  Oriental  Missionary  Society. 

b.  Salvation  Army. 

4.  Protestant  Work  in  General: 

a.  American,  Reformed  Type  Predominant. 

b.  Effect  of  Denominational  Divisions. 

c.  One  Hymnal  for  All. 

Conclusion:     Christianity    Overcoming    Shinto,    Confucianism     and 
Buddhism,  Illustrations 


IV. 
GLEAMS  OF  THE  SUN  OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS 

Twilight  before  Sunrise.  The  influence  of  the 
Christian  religion  is  wider  than  its  direct  missionary 
work.  Recently  a  Japanese  student  wrote  to  one  of  his 
teachers  in  our  College  at  Sendai:  "I  think  I  shall  give  up 
the  study  of  English  literature.  It  is  full  of  Christianity; 
I  find  it  in  every  English  book  I  read,  and  I  don't  want  it." 
But  he  did  not  give  up  the  study  and  today  he  is  a  Chris- 
tian. Likewise,  Jewish  and  Christian  influences  have  from 
early  times  filtered  into  China  and  Japan  in  spite  of  the 
great  barrier  of  deserts  and  inhospitable  lands  placed  by 
Providence  between  East  and  West. 

Unconscious  Influence  Probable.  Kosala,  the  cradle 
of  Buddhism,  and  Galilee,  the  cradle  of  Christianity, 
are  little  more  than  2,000  miles  apart.  Alexander  the 
Great  made  the  connections  as  perfect  as  they  could  be 
made  in  the  ancient  world.  The  doctrines  of  Buddhism 
were  not  unknown  to  the  scholars  of  old  Antioch  and  Al- 
exandria when  the  Christian  Church  was  first  being  es- 
tablished, and  the  fathers  had  to  fight  hard  against  here- 
tics, whose  ideas  of  salvation  were  like  those  of  Japanese 
Buddhists  today.  If  eastern  influences  could  reach  the 
West,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  western  influences 
reached  the  East.  Greek  art  travelled  far.  The  Im- 
perial House  of  Japan  has  in  its  possession  today  a  bas- 


112  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

relief  brought  by  some  missionary  from  India  that  is  a 
good  example  of  the  Grecian  (Bactrian)  style  of  the  eighth 
century  of  our  era.  Christian  thought  somewhat  dis- 
guised could  easily  pass  over  the  same  trail. 

Jews  and  Christians  in  China.  Jews  settled  at 
Kaifongfu,  Honan,  China,  before  the  time  of  Christ,  and 
their  descendants  are  still  to  be  found.  There  is  nothing 
improbable  in  the  tradition  that  Thomas  the  Doubter, 
one  of  the  twelve  Apostles,  preached  the  Gospel  at  Pesh- 
awur  in  northwest  India.  The  Emperor  Justinian  re- 
ceived gifts  of  silk  from  Chinese  Christians. 

Nestorian  Missions.  The  Nestorian  Christians  were 
active  in  China  about  the  same  time  that  Pope  Gregory 
was  sending  the  first  missionaries  to  the  heathen  Angles 
and  Saxons.  In  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  New  York 
may  be  seen  a  copy  of  the  "Nestorian  Monument," 
which  was  discovered  in  1625  at  Hsianfu,  Shensi,  China. 
It  was  erected  in  781  and  records  in  Syriac  and  in  Chinese, 
how  a  missionary,  named  Alopen,  began  Christian  work 
in  that  city  in  635.  We  know  that  a  Persian  Christian 
physician,  named  Rimitsu,  was  attached  to  the  Japanese 
Court  in  739.  Nestorianism  had  a  good  start  in  Asia. 
But,  unfortunately,  it  was  a  weak  type  of  Christianity. 
Like  the  Unitarians  of  today,  the  Nestorians  were  op- 
posed to  emphasizing  the  divinity  of  Christ.  It  was  for 
this  reason  that  they  were  driven  out  of  the  Roman 
Empire  and  found  a  welcome  first  among  the  Parthians, 
who  were  enemies  to  Rome.  In  China  they  were  friend- 
ly toward  the  Buddhists,  and  one  of  their  priests  helped 
to  translate  Buddhist  scriptures  into  the  Chinese  language. 
The  Chinese  Nestorians  were  absorbed  by  the  Buddhists, 
or  the  Mohammedans,  and  the  last  remnant  was  prob- 
ably incorporated  in  the  Roman  Catholic  body. 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         113 

Christian  Elements  in  Japanese  Buddhism.     One 

of  the  most  interesting  problems  in  Comparative  Re- 
ligion is  the  question  to  what  extent  the  more  vigorous 
Buddhist  sects  of  Japan  were  influenced  by  the  Christian 
religion.  It  is  known  that  Kobo,  founder  of  the  Shingon 
Sect,  visited  Hsianfu  just  at  the  time  when  Nestorian 
Christianity  was  most  flourishing  there.  In  the  funeral 
liturgy  of  Shingon  strange  mystical  words  are  used,  among 
which  are  Abarakakia  and  Caulaucau.  Students  of  the 
history  of  the  Christian  Church  recognize  these  as  terms 
employed  by  the  ancient  Gnostics  of  Antioch  and  Alex- 
andria. From  these  and  other  coincidences,  Professor 
Arthur  Lloyd  in  his  "Creed  of  Half  Japan"  argues  that 
among  the  elements  that  entered  into  Northern  Buddhism, 
Christian  influence  may  be  traced.  Professor  Saeki  of 
Waseda  University  of  Tokyo,  who  is  a  Christian,  has 
recently  published  a  book  entitled  "The  Nestorian 
Monument  in  China,"  in  which  he  declares  that  Chris- 
tianity is  back  of  that  type  of  Buddhism  which  preaches 
salvation  by  faith  in  a  personal  revealer  and  savior.  It 
is  curious  that  the  savior  Amida  is  not  even  named  in 
Buddhistic  literature  before  the  first  century  of  the 
Christian  era,  and  it  may  be  that  Amida  is,  after  all, 
only  a  pale  reflection  of  the  Christ. 

The  Roman  Propaganda.  The  missionary  work  of 
the  Romanists  was  begun  in  the  year  1530,  when  the 
Shogun  Ashikaga-Yoshiharu  was  ruler  of  Japan.  The 
great  missionary,  Xavier,  a  native  of  Portugal  and  a 
Jesuit,  came  with  an  assistant  in  1549.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  two  Japanese  whom  he  had  met  abroad. 
Landing  at  Kagoshima,  they  began  preaching,  and  it  is 
said  that  in  1549,  <:hey  baptized  over  500  converts  after 


1 14  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

but  two  months'  work.  Their  propaganda,  often  ac- 
companied with  gifts  of  musical  instruments,  clocks, 
glasses,  and  even  distribution  of  rice,  made  rapid  progress 
among  the  people  in  Kyushu.  Among  their  converts 
was  Otomo,  governor  of  the  island. 

Encouraged  by  the  Govemmeiit.  About  the  same 
time  a  general  named  Oda-Nobunaga,  overthrowing  the 
Ashikagas,  was  struggling  to  maintain  his  position  at 
Kyoto,  and  it  is  said  that  he  called  to  the  capital  the 
Portuguese  missionaries  and  encouraged  them,  for  the 
purpose  of  suppressing  the  Buddhists,  who  opposed  him. 
He  founded  the  cathedral  sometimes  called  South  Bar- 
barian Temple  (Nambanji).  After  the  assassination  of 
Nobunaga,  in  1582,  Roman  Catholic  influence,  which  had 
prevailed  all  over  the  empire  and  had  reached  Waka- 
matsu  and  Sendai  in  the  north,  began  to  wane.  At  that 
time  the  number  of  missionaries  was  more  than  two 
hundred,  and  the  believers  over  three  hundred  thousand. 

Political  Intrigue.  Military  men  of  renown,  like 
Konishi,  were  earnest  believers.  But  there  was  much 
reason  for  the  suspicion  that  in  that  age  of  confusion  and 
revolution  some  of  the  prominent  converts  were  moved 
by  the  desire  to  get  assistance  from  western  nations  in 
their  ambitious  endeavors  to  surpass  their  rivals  and 
rise,  perhaps,  to  the  highest  position  in  the  empire.  The 
next  over-lord  became  more  and  more  suspicious  of  those 
who  courted  the  Spanish  and  the  Portuguese,  and  Toku- 
gawa-Ieyasu,  his  successor,  founder  of  the  long  line  that 
ruled  Japan  up  to  our  own  times,  finally  in  1614,  forbade 
the  profession  of  Christianity  altogether. 

Mission  of  the  **King'*  of  Tohoku.  The  greatest 
military  chieftain  that  North  Japan  ever  produced  was 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         1 1 5 

the  one-eyed  Date-Masamune,  born  in  the  country  near 
Fukushima,  a  very  unpromising  youth,  who  by  his  force 
of  character  quickly  made  himself  the  master  of  all  the 
north  and  built  a  castle-town  which  is  now  the  largest 
city  north  of  Tokyo, — Sendai.  He  called  himself  the 
king  of  the  country  of  O,  as  the  north  is  often  called, 
O,  or  Oku,  meaning  the  interior  or  the  back  part.  In 
1 6 13  he  sent  an  embassy  to  the  Pope  of  Rome  and  the 
King  of  Spain. 

Japan  Almost  Christian.  What  his  motive  was 
may  be  inferred  from  passages  of  his  letter  to  the  Pope: 

"I  have  received  these  teachings  into  my  heart  and  upon 
examining  them  have  seen  that  they  are  true  and  salutary. 
I  would  not  hesitate  to  profess  them  openly  if  certain 
affairs  had  not  hindered  and  invincible  reasons  prevented 
my  doing  so.  But  although,  personally,  I  am  for  the 
time  being  held  back,  I  desire  that  my  subjects  at  least 
shall  be  Christians."  "I  have  learned  that  my  kingdom 
is  not  far  removed  from  the  kingdoms  of  New  Spain, 
which  form  part  of  the  domains  of  the  very  powerful 
king  of  Spain,  Philip.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  in  the 
desire  to  enter  into  relation  with  him  and  with  his  Chris- 
tian states  I  keenly  desire  his  friendship,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  of  obtaining  it  if  you  assist  me  with  your  authority, 
as  I  humbly  beseech  you  to  do,  conjuring  your  Highness  to 
undertake  this  task  and  bring  it  to  an  end,  above  all  be- 
cause these  kingdoms  of  New  Spain  are  the  necessary 
route  for  the  religionists  sent  by  you  into  our  kingdom." 
Father  Sotello,  who  went  with  the  envoy,  Hasekura- 
Rokuemon,  in  interpreting  his  speech,  as  reported  by 
the  Venetian  Ambassador,  made  him  say  that  his  king. 
Date,  being  next  in  power  and  dignity  to  the  Shogun, 


Ii6  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

would  endeavor  to  supplant  him,  and  then  he  would  not 
only  declare  himself  a  Christian,  but  would  compel  all 
other  princes  in  his  country  to  do  the  same. 

A  Sudden  Change.  The  embassy,  with  i8o  per- 
sons, departed  in  1613  and  returned  in  1620.  Hasekura 
was  baptized  at  Madrid.  He  was,  of  course,  royally 
received.  The  lineal  descendants  of  Date  still  possess 
souvenirs  of  this  great  journey,  including  crucifixes  and 
images,  a  portrait  of  Pope  Paul  V  and  a  beautiful  Latin 
document  giving  the  freedom  of  the  city  of  Rome  to 
Hasekura.  But  when  the  embassy  returned  the  whole 
situation  had  changed.  Hasekura  died  in  disgrace. 
Date  was  forced  to  persecute  the  Christians.  But  it  is 
said  that  he  managed  to  shield  many  who  were  of  the 
samurai  class. 

Persecution  in  Tohoku.  In  all  parts  of  the  North 
examples  were  made  of  those  who  stubbornly  refused  to 
abjure  their  faith.  There  are  detailed  accounts  of  the 
martyr-deaths  of  native  Christians  at  Sendai,  Mizusawa, 
Morioka,  Hirosaki,  and  elsewhere.  Some  perished  in  a 
filthy  prison,  others  were  beheaded,  burned,  or  frozen. 
We  have  space  for  but  one  of  these  stories,  narrating  a 
martyrdom  that  occurred  in  Tsugaru  (Hirosaki):  "A 
physician  whose  baptismal  name  was  Matthias,  who  had 
graduated  at  a  Christian  school  in  Kyoto,  sent  a  letter  to 
his  friend  Antonio,  saying  that  he  and  his  companions 
saw  the  Lord  coming  down  from  heaven  and  heard  Him 
say  that  they  should  be  put  to  death  on  Friday.  Mat- 
thias exhorted  a  man  and  his  wife  to  be  converted  and 
baptized  them.  When  he  died  these  converts  were  put 
to  death  with  him.  Anna,  wife  of  Matthias,  regretted 
very  much  that  she  could  not  join  in  the  martyrdom  and 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         117 

earnestly  entreated  the  Virgin  Mary.  To  her  satis- 
faction her  prayer  was  heard  and  she  was  summoned  by 
the  officials,  on  the  ground  that  she  was  forgotten  when 
the  arrests  were  made.  She  was  then  taken  round  the 
streets,  as  the  custom  was,  and  was  burned  to  death. 
She  died  after  much  pain  and  suffering.  Believers  of 
other  religions  seeing  her  courage  were  greatly  moved 
and  admired  her,  saying  that  her  conduct  was  quite  super- 
human." 

A  Typical  Martyrdom  at  Sendai.  In  1623  a  com- 
pany of  Christians  at  Sendai,  including  a  Spanish  priest, 
were  bound  naked  to  stakes  driven  in  the  middle  of  a 
pool,  exposed  to  the  raw  wind  of  a  cold  February  after- 
noon. They  were  compelled  again  and  again  to  immerse 
themselves  in  the  water.  As  night  came  on,  a  snow- 
storm set  in  and  the  water  of  the  pool  slowly  froze.  The 
Spanish  father  was  the  last  to  die.  Their  bodies  were 
cut  to  bits  and  thrown  into  the  river. 

Absolute  Extermination.  In  all  parts  of  the  em- 
pire persecutions  of  the  most  fiendish  description  were 
devised  by  the  government  to  extirpate  the  "Kirishtan" 
(Christians)  and  "Bateren"  (Portuguese  "padres,"  or 
fathers).  Probably  every  one  who  reads  these  lines  has 
heard  of  the  edict: 

"So  long  as  the  sun  warms  the  earth,  let  no  Chris- 
tian be  so  bold  as  to  come  to  Japan,  and  let  all  know 
that  if  King  Philip  himself,  or  even  the  very  God  of 
the  Christians,  or  the  great  Shaka  (Buddha),  contra- 
vene this  prohibition,  they  shall  pay  for  it  with  their 
heads." 
Causes  of  the  Reverse.  The  failure  of  the  Roman 
Catholics  was  plainly  due  to  their  appealing  to  low  mo- 


1 1 8  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

tives  and  becoming  involved  in  political  intrigue.  It  is 
said  that  the  Dutch,  who  hated  the  Spanish  and  the 
Portuguese,  were  active  in  denouncing  their  rivals,  and 
helped  with  guns  when  the  last  of  the  rebels  were  slaugh- 
tered at  Shimabara  in  1638.  The  destruction  of  the 
Christians,  who  must  have  included  some  of  the  very 
best  material  of  the  Japanese  nation,  meant  an  irreparable 
loss  to  the  country.  But  in  the  midst  of  all  the  dreadful 
deeds  of  men,  the  purposes  of  Providence  were  accom- 
plished. It  was  not  the  will  of  God  that  the  Pacific  and 
bordering  countries,  including  America,  should  be  domin- 
ated by  a  Roman  Catholic  Japan.  At  the  very  same 
time  that  Christianity  was  prohibited  by  leyasu,  the 
English  colonists  began  their  settlement  of  the  Atlantic 
Coast  of  America. 

Wonderful  Survivals.  On  February  24th,  1873, 
after  259  years,  the  notices  prohibiting  Christianity  were 
removed.  During  the  period  of  persecution,  though  no 
stone  was  left  unturned  by  the  government  to  discover 
any  secret  Christians,  there  were  whole  communities 
that  escaped  notice.  Especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Naga- 
saki, at  the  southwestern  end  of  Japan  proper,  were  such 
Catholic  communities  found.  In  the  single  district  of 
Uragami,  three  thousand  believers  were  discovered. 
Reverend  H.  H.  Cook  found  a  similar  small  community 
in  the  mountains  between  Yamagata  and  Miyagi  Pre- 
fectures. In  some  instances  Christian  images  had  been 
secreted  in  the  village  shrines.  Baptism  was  practiced, 
but  the  people  had  no  Bibles  and  their  Christianity  was 
little  more  than  a  tradition. 

The  Roman  Church  in  Tohoku.  The  work  of  the 
Roman  Church  in  Japan  is  mostly  in  charge  of  mission- 


^1 ,/;.  ^B^- JHK^iJI^^H 

Types  of  Japanese  Christian  Faces 

The  bearded  gentleman  resembles  the  Ainu  (aboriginal  race); 
the  one  with  mustache  is  pure  Samura  ;  the  young  man  is  of  the 
Korean  race,  and  the  one  with  family  is  a  Japanese  of  Chinese  ex- 
traction. 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         119 

aries  from  France,  though  there  are  a  few  from  Germany 
and  from  Spain.  The  members  are  said  to  number 
75,983,  of  whom  52,914  are  in  Kyushu,  the  southern 
island.  In  North  Japan  there  may  be  as  many  as  3,000. 
Here  the  work  was  begun  in  1874.  There  are  about 
twenty  foreign  priests,  and  these  are  evenly  distributed 
among  the  seven  prefectures.  Sisters  conduct  a  girls' 
school  in  Sendai  and  another  in  Morioka.  There  are 
also  dispensaries  in  these  two  cities. 

Policy  of  the  Romanists.  The  Romanists  aim  to  get 
families  rather  than  individuals.  Whereas  the  Protest- 
ants last  year  baptized  10,345  adults  and  1,049  children, 
the  Romanists  report  that  they  baptized  784  adults  and 
2,539  children.  The  contrast  is  striking.  The  statistics 
of  membership  on  the  Roman  side  include  considerable 
dead  wood;  but  the  rolls  of  the  Protestants  are  carefully 
pruned  and  usually  include  only  those  who  attend  church 
and  make  regular  contributions.  One  interesting  fea- 
ture of  the  policy  of  the  Romanists  is  that  they  do  not 
ordain  a  Japanese  to  the  priesthood,  unless  he  is  a  Christ- 
ian of  the  third  generation,  that  is,  he  has  had  Christian 
parents  and  grandparents. 

A  Great  Russian  Missionary.  Japan  is  neighbor  to 
Russia,  and,  therefore,  naturally  was  early  in  touch  with 
the  Greek  Catholic  Church  of  that  empire.  In  181 1  the 
Russian  Admiral  Golownin,  while  voyaging  in  Japanese 
waters,  was  captured  and  imprisoned  at  Matsumae, 
Hokkaido.  Afterwards  his  diary  was  published  and  fell 
into  the  hands  of  a  theological  student  at  St.  Petersburg, 
named  Nicolai  Kasatkin.  This  Nicolai,  as  he  is  common- 
ly called,  became  an  extraordinarily  successful  missionary 
to  the  Japanese.     He  was  descended  from  a  line  of  priests 


I20  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

and  belonged  to  a  family  of  royal  origin.  When  a  call  was 
sent  for  a  chaplain  to  serve  the  Russian  consulate  at 
Hakodate,  Hokkaido,  he  promptly  accepted  the  position 
and,  in  i860,  entered  upon  a  long  and  dangerous  journey 
through  Siberia  to  Japan.  His  position  at  Hakodate 
was  not  an  arduous  one  and  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
study  of  the  Japanese  language.  At  that  time  Christian- 
ity was  still  prohibited  under  the  severest  penalties.  But 
when  the  way  was  open  Nicolai  was  ready  to  preach  in 
Japanese. 

Nicolai  and  the  Samurai  of  Sendai.  At  the  time 
of  the  war  of  the  Restoration  many  of  the  warriors  at 
Sendai  fled  to  Hokkaido.  They  were  mostly  men  who 
had  studied  at  the  Yokendo,  a  famous  school  in  Sendai. 
When  they  arrived  at  Hakodate,  in  1869,  they  readily 
came  under  Nicolai's  influence  and  accepted  the  faith. 
This  is  the  reason  why  the  Greek  Church  is  relatively 
strong  in  Sendai  and  in  the  country  north  of  that  city. 

The  Greek  Cathedral  in  Tokyo.  Nicolai  later  took 
up  residence  in  Tokyo.  With  the  assistance  of  the  Rus- 
sian legation,  he  obtained  a  magnificent  site  on  Surugadai, 
one  of  the  highest  points  in  the  city,  and  built  upon  it 
a  cathedral  which  is  the  most  imposing  Christian  edifice 
in  the  empire.  Adherents  of  all  religions  may  be  found 
among  the  worshippers,  who  are  attracted  by  the  wonder- 
ful music  and  the  beauty  of  the  liturgy. 

The  Greek  Church  in  Tohoku.  Archbishop  Nic- 
olai, who  died  in  191 2,  was  a  very  hard  worker  and  most 
of  the  time  carried  his  burden  entirely  alone.  Among 
his  followers  are  to  be  found  some  admirable  Christians; 
but,  as  a  force  in  religious  education,  the  Church  has  not 
been  efficient,  for  lack  of  missionary  teachers  from  abroad. 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         121 

Many  of  the  believers  are  very  ignorant,  and  it  may  not 
be  too  harsh  a  judgment  of  some  of  them  to  say,  that 
they  have  merely  exchanged  one  idolatry  for  another. 
There  are  now  in  the  Greek  Orthodox  Church  in  Tohoku, 
76  churches  and  4,361  members  in  1,889  families.  As  in 
the  Roman  Church,  the  family  is  made  the  center  of 
attention  in  evangelistic  effort.  In  the  year  191 6,  100 
adults  and  92  children  were  baptized.  The  contributions 
averaged  fifty-two  cents  a  member,  as  compared  with 
$1.40  in  our  Tohoku  Mission. 

Various  Protestant  Missions.  The  Protestant  bod- 
ies that  have  done  the  most  aggressive  work  in  the  North 
in  recent  years  are  the  Tohoku  Mission  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States,  the  Mission  of  the  American 
Episcopal  Church,  and  the  Oriental  Missionary  Society. 
These  represent  three  classes  of  Protestant  missions, 
which  we  may  call  the  co-operating,  the  exclusive,  and 
the  auxiliary.  The  co-operating  missions  stand  for 
churches  that,  whatever  their  difference  may  have  been 
in  the  lands  where  they  had  their  origin,  in  their  work 
among  the  Japanese  emphasize  the  one  message  that  "the 
Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  everyone 
that  believeth,"  and  they  regard  any  body  that  organizes 
churches  on  the  same  basis  as  belonging  to  the  one  Church 
of  Christ.  The  exclusive  missions  regard  other  Protestant 
bodies  as  not  belonging  to  the  true  Church;  refuse  to 
work  with  them,  and  often  try  to  make  proselytes  of 
their  members.  The  missions  that  we  call  auxiliary,  in 
contrast  with  the  exclusives,  go  to  the  other  extreme; 
put  more  stress  on  the  widest  possible  proclamation  of 
the  Gospel  than  on  the  establishment  of  regular  churches, 
and  do  a  great  deal  of  work  that  helps  the  co-operating 
missions. 


122  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Three    Chief    Protestant    Churches.     The    great 

majority  of  the  Protestant  Christians  in  Japan  belong  to 
the  co-operating  missions,  and  of  these  the  chief  are  the 
Presbyterian-Reformed,  the  Congregational  and  the 
Methodist  groups.  The  numbers  of  regular  members 
of  the  largest  bodies  in  the  empire  are  as  follows : 

Presbyterian-Reformed 101,088 

Qapanese,  29,519;  Formosan,  6,655;  Korean,  64,914) 

Congregationalist 39iS2i 

Qapanese,  19,521;  Korean,  20,000) 

Methodist 32,097 

(Japanese,  14,089;  Korean,  18,008) 

Episcopal 7,004 

Salvation  Army 6,460 

Others I3,579 

Total 199,749 

(Japanese,  90,172;  Formosan,  6,6ss;  Korean,  102,922) 

So  the  three  largest  groups  comprise  86  per  cent  of  all 
the  Protestant  Christians  in  the  empire,  or  70  per  cent 
if  the  Japanese  only  be  reckoned. 

Denominational  Diflferences  Slight.  These  three 
largest  groups  differ  among  themselves  in  regard  to  the 
government  of  the  churches.  The  Congregationalists, 
as  the  name  implies,  have  no  form  of  central  govern- 
ment that  controls  the  local  congregation,  assuming  that 
where  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  active  discipline  may  be  com- 
mitted entirely  to  the  members  of  the  congregation. 
The  Methodists,  on  the  other  hand,  are  thoroughly 
organized  and  the  discipline  is  very  effective.  The  Re- 
formed take  a  middle  course,  controlling  the  local  congre- 
gations and  their  ministers  by  means  of  a  classis,  or 
presbytery,  consisting  of  representatives  of  the  churches 
in  the  district.      In  America  there  are  other  differences 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         1 23 

between  these  denominations,  but  in  Japan,  in  all  matters 
except  the  government  of  the  congregations,  they  heartily 
agree,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  they  should  not  ulti- 
mately be  united  in  one  Japanese  Christian  Church. 

Real  Co-operation.  Between  the  co-operating  mis- 
sions "comity"  is  observed.  That  is,  care  is  taken  not 
to  overlap.  When  one  mission  has  begun  work  in  a 
small  town,  other  missions  stay  out.  Of  course,  in  a 
city,  or  a  large  town,  where  there  is  room  for  several 
churches,  and  more  work  than  one  church  can  well  man- 
age, several  denominations  may  enter.  The  co-operating 
missions  in  such  a  city  show  their  sense  of  their  unity  in 
Christ,  by  holding  union  prayer  meetings  and  working 
together  in  frequent  united  evangelistic  campaigns. 

The  Reformed  Churches  in  Tohoku.  For  the 
Protestants  the  Reformed  Churches  have  done  pioneer 
work  in  Tohoku,  and  their  influence  has  been  steadily 
in  favor  of  co-operation  and  union.  We  will  glance  at 
their  history  in  the  empire  as  a  whole. 

The  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  While  Japan  lived 
in  seclusion  and  forbade  all  intercourse  with  the  rest  of 
the  world,  an  exception  was  made  in  favor  of  the  Dutch, 
who  were  allowed  to  do  a  little  trading  at  Nagasaki.  So 
it  was  natural  that  when  the  country  was  opened,  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Church  should  feel  especially  interested. 
In  1859,  they  sent  Guido  Fridolin  Verbeck,  one  of  the 
great  missionaries  in  the  history  of  Christianity.  Born 
and  educated  in  Holland  and  growing  up  as  a  young  man 
in  America,  he  had  not  only  remarkable  scholarship,  but 
also  just  the  qualities  that  were  needed  for  successful 
work  among  the  Japanese  in  those  critical  times.  He 
was  trusted  adviser  of  the  government  and  was  practi- 


124  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

cally  the  founder  of  the  Imperial  University.  But  he 
was  not  the  only  able  missionary  sent  out  by  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  America  in  those  early  days.  The 
educator,  Dr.  S.  R.  Brown,  gathered  about  him  in  Yoko- 
hama some  of  the  brightest  young  men  in  the  country 
and  trained  them  to  become  the  leaders  of  several  of  the 
Christian  denominations.  As  an  evangelistic  missionary. 
Rev.  James  H.  Ballagh,  who  still  lives  and  works  at 
Yokohama,  has  also  been  very  influential.  Dr.  Ballagh, 
early  in  1872,  organized  the  first  Protestant  Christian 
Church  in  Japan,  the  Kaigan  (Seashore)  Church  of  Yoko- 
hama. 

Union  With  Presbyterians.  A  Presbyterian  med- 
ical missionary.  Dr.  J.  C.  Hepburn,  had  come  to  Yoko- 
hama with  the  first  Dutch  Reformed  missionaries,  and 
hy  1873  there  was  a  Presbyterian  Church  in  Tokyo. 
In  1877,  a  number  of  Japanese  Reformed  and  Presby- 
terian congregations  united  under  one  classis,  or  presby- 
tery. 

The  "Japan  Christ  Church."  The  Japanese 
Church  formed  by  the  union  of  the  congregations  estab- 
lished by  various  Reformed  and  Presbyterian  missions 
is  called  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai.  The  first  word, 
Nihon,  is  the  same  as  Nippon  and  means  Japan.  (In 
the  old  days  the  two  Chinese  characters  that  make  up 
the  name,  Japan,  namely,  the  character  for  sun  and  the 
character  for  origin,  were  pronounced  by  some,  Nihon, 
and  by  others,  Jipan.  So  Nihon  and  Japan  are  the 
same  name,  meaning  "sunrise.")  The  word  Kirisuto 
means,  of  course,  Christ,  while  Kyokwai  is  Church. 
The  reason  why  this  body  is  called  "Japan  Christ  Church" 
is  that,  when  the  union  was  consummated,  it  was  not  at 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         125 

all  the  intention  to  limit  it  to  the  Reformed  and  Presby- 
terian churches.  Indeed,  it  seemed  for  some  time  quite 
certain  that  the  Congregationalists  would  be  included; 
but  Mr.  Niishima,  head  of  the  great  school  of  the  Congre- 
gationalists at  Kyoto,  called  Doshisha,  seemed  to  be 
afraid  that  a  synod  might  be  dangerous  to  his  school, 
so  that  finally  the  united  church  included  only  congre- 
gations of  Reformed  and  Presbyterian  ajffiliations.  The 
bodies  connected  with  the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai  are 
the  missionary  organizations  of  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
the  American  Presbyterians,  North  and  South,  the 
(Dutch)  Reformed  Church  in  America,  the  (German) 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  and  a  body 
called  the  Union  Mission,  supported  by  ladies  of  New 
York  and  maintaining  a  Bible  Women*s  Training  School 
in  Yokohama.  There  are  today  five  Classes  in  Japan 
proper  and  four  Classes  in  other  parts,  namely,  the 
Classes  of  Hokkaido,  Taiwan,  Chosen,  and  Manchuria. 

A  Sovereign  National  Church.  The  name  of  the 
Church  is  enough  to  indicate  its  strong  Japanese,  nation- 
alistic spirit.  Its  leaders  have  been  very  particular  to 
have  Christianity  presented  to  the  people  as  a  Japanese, 
not  an  American,  institution.  Ten  years  ago  there  was 
much  agitation  over  the  question  of  the  relation  to  be 
established  between  the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai  and  the 
American  denominations  that  send  missionaries  to  help 
its  work.  The  Presbyterian  Church,  North,  and  the 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States  have  cheerfully 
recognized  the  authority  of  the  native  church  and  made 
arrangements  to  place  the  work  of  their  missionaries 
formally  under  the  supervision  of  its  General  Board 
(Somukyoku).    While  the  Roman  Catholics,  the  Episco- 


126  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

palians,  the  Salvation  Army,  and  similar  bodies  are  in 
organizations  of  international  scope,  controlled  largely 
by  men  who  are  not  of  the  Japanese  nation,  the  Nihon 
Kirisuto  Kyokwai  is  purely  national,  and  the  missionaries 
take  the  attitude  of  helpers  and  not  in  any  sense  of  mas- 
ters. The  (Dutch)  Reformed  Church  in  America  and  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  South,  have  not  been  willing  to 
concede  so  much,  so  that  congregations  organized  by 
their  missionaries  are  recognized  as  affiliated  with,  but 
not  fully  belonging  to,  the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai. 

A  Great  Japanese  Leader.  The  leading  man  of  the 
denomination  is  Mr.  Uemura,  who  has  since  the  begin- 
ning of  his  ministry  presided  over  a  church  in  Tokyo 
that  he  founded,  with  some  assistance  from  Dr.  J.  P. 
Moore  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States. 
It  is  now  called  the  Church  of  Fujimi  Street  (Fujimi 
means  Fuji-seeing,  and  refers  to  the  fact  that  from  this 
street  the  noted  Mt.  Fuji  can  be  viewed).  This  church  is, 
no  doubt,  the  strongest  and  most  influential  in  Tokyo, 
very  prominent  people  belonging  to  its  membership 
and  its  services  being  thronged  by  visitors  from  all  parts 
of  the  country.  Mr.  Uemura  is  also  editor  of  a  paper 
entitled  Gospel  News  (Fukuin  Shimpo),  which  is  one  of 
the  best  religious  weeklies  in  the  world,  and  is  the  foun- 
der of  the  Shingakusha,  a  theological  seminary,  which  is 
conducted  under  purely  Japanese  auspices  and  is  very 
successful.  In  theology  Mr.  Uemura  is  conservative. 
He  seems  to  have  a  little  impediment  in  his  speech  and 
his  preaching  is  not  readily  understood,  even  by  his  own 
countrymen;  but  his  influence  is  great  and  his  writings 
are  clear  and  forceful. 

The  Native  Board  of  Missions.     The  most  aggressive 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         1 27 

work  among  the  Japanese  in  the  colonies  is  in  charge  of 
the  Board  of  Missions  of  the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai. 
The  work  in  Niigata  Prefecture,  which  is  a  strongly- 
Buddhistic  region,  is  entirely  in  charge  of  the  Japanese 
Board,  so  far  as  this  church  is  concerned;  and  there  is 
also  a  Japanese  Woman's  Missionary  Society  that  sup- 
ports two  mission-churches  on  the  Island  of  Sado,  in  the 
Sea  of  Japan,  near  Niigata. 

Prosperity  of  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai.  Not  only 
the  Board  of  Missions,  but  also  various  other  activities 
of  the  united  church  are  now  committed  to  a  central 
office  called  Somukyoku,  in  Tokyo,  and  the  interests  of 
the  church  as  a  whole  and  particularly  of  its  missions  are 
attended  to  by  a  staff  in  the  office  and  two  capable  travel- 
ing secretaries.  In  1901  the  communicant  members  of 
the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai  numbered  about  10,000,  as 
did  also  those  of  the  Congregationalist,  the  Methodist 
and  the  Episcopal  groups  at  that  time,  the  four  being  of 
about  equal  strength.  But  no  other  group  has  grown 
so  fast  as  this.  The  church  as  a  whole  increases  about 
100  per  cent  every  ten  years. 

Beginnings  in  Sendai.  The  work  of  the  Nihon 
Kirisuto  Kyokwai  in  Tohoku  was  begun  by  Mr.  Oshikawa, 
a  pupil  of  Dr.  S.  R.  Brown,  and  a  devoted  evangelist. 
He  was  first  associated  with  a  Scotch  Presbyterian  medical 
missionary  in  the  city  of  Niigata,  named  Dr.  Palm. 
This  city  was  one  of  the  open  ports  established  by  treaty, 
so  that  it  was  possible  for  foreigners  to  dwell  and  work 
there  before  they  could  be  admitted  into  other  parts  of 
Tohoku.  There  was  another  young  man  in  the  service 
of  Dr.  Palm,  named  Yoshida-Kametaro,  a  native  of  the 
country  near  Ishinomaki,  east  of  Sendai,  who  persuaded 


128  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Mr.  Oshikawa  to  undertake  an  evangelistic  tour  on  the 
east  side.  When  Niigata  was  destroyed  by  a  great  fire 
the  two  removed  permanently  to  Sendai.  They  preached 
at  the  risk  of  their  lives,  but  the  response  was  immediate, 
and  in  1881  a  flourishing  congregation  was  established. 
An  old  Hongwanji  Temple  on  a  back  street  in  the  center 
of  the  city  was  offered  for  sale  and  the  little  congregation 
managed  to  purchase  it.  Immediately  afterwards  the 
authorities  of  the  city  decided  upon  the  location  of  the 
railroad  station  in  that  vicinity,  and  the  property  of  the 
congregation,  called  Nibancho  (Second  Street)  Church, 
now  stands  upon  one  of  the  city's  broadest  avenues  and 
is  exceedingly  valuable. 

Founding  of  Tohoku  Mission >  1885.  Mr.  Oshikawa 
needed  help  and,  one  day  in  1885,  hearing  that  a  mission- 
ary named  Hoy,  sent  by  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States,  was  expected  soon  to  arrive  at  Yokohama, 
went  to  invite  him  to  come  to  his  assistance.  Mr.  Hoy 
did  so.  Mr.  Schneder  and  others  followed.  These  men 
founded  North  Japan  College,  a  noted  institution,  of 
which  more  will  be  told  in  a  later  chapter.  The  Re- 
formed Church  is  the  only  Christian  body  that  has  an 
educational  institution  for  young  men  of  academic  and 
higher  grades  in  all  the  country  north  of  Tokyo.  In 
the  early  days  this  school  served  as  the  occasion  for  the 
introduction  of  Christian  missionaries.  Before  1899 
Japanese  law  did  not  allow  Americans  to  reside  in  the 
interior, — only  in  the  open  ports.  Dr.  Hoy,  Dr.  Schneder, 
and  other  missionaries  who  lived  in  Sendai  before  1899, 
had  passports  stating  that  they  were  engaged  by  Mr. 
Oshikawa  to  do  school  work.  Mr.  Oshikawa  afterwards 
went  into  politics,  sincerely  believing  that  he  could  do 


Fukushima  Church  and  Sunday  School 
(A  permanent  property  that  cost  $5,ooc) 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         1 29 

more  for  the  Christian  cause  as  a  statesman  than  as  an 
educator.  He  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  Japanese 
Parliament. 

The  Reformed  Church  at  Morioka.  About  the 
same  time  that  Dr.  Hoy  went  to  Sendai,  the  sister  Re- 
formed Church  began  work  in  Morioka.  The  pioneer 
missionary  was  Rev.  E.  R.  Miller.  Mrs.  Miller  had 
been,  before  her  marriage,  Miss  Mary  Kidder,  the  first 
single  lady  to  go  as  missionary  to  Japan.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Miller,  besides  laying  a  good  foundation  for  the  church  at 
Morioka,  were  also  pioneers  in  the  work  of  preparing 
suitable  literature  for  Sunday  School  pupils. 

Transfer  to  the  Tohoku  Mission.  In  the  Japanese 
language  the  distinction  between  the  official  names  of 
the  two  Reformed  Churches  is  not  clear.  So  the  people 
have  continued  to  use  the  old  names,  calling  the  Mission 
at  Sendai  "German"  Reformed  and  the  one  at  Morioka 
"Dutch"  Reformed.  In  1917,  the  "Dutch"  Mission 
asked  the  "German"  Mission  to  take  over  all  their  work 
in  Iwate  and  Aomori  Prefectures,  in  order  that  they 
might  concentrate  their  forces  on  the  southern  island 
(Kyushu).  The  transfer  is  now  being  made.  Since  the 
"Dutch"  Mission  is  henceforth  to  be  at  one  end  of  Japan 
and  the  "German"  at  the  other,  let  us  hope  that  these 
un-American  and  un-Japanese  designations  may  be  dis- 
used and  that  we  may  hear  only  of  the  Kyushu  Mission 
and  the  Tohoku  Mission.  So  far  as  the  Nihon  Kirisuto 
Kyokwai  is  concerned,  the  central  sections  of  Japan  are 
in  charge  of  the  American  Presbyterians,  North  and 
South,  and  they  do  no  work  in  Tohoku. 

A  Hundred  Infant  Churches.  The  North  Japan 
College  connected  with  the  Tohoku  Mission  of  the  Re- 


130  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

formed  Church,  located  at  Sendai,  with  its  staff  of  able 
Christian  leaders  and  its  loyal  alumni  scattered  all  over 
the  North,  gives  this  Mission  a  great  advantage  in  the 
work  of  founding  churches.  Not  including  the  workers 
of  the  Japanese  Board  of  Missions  in  Niigata  Prefecture, 
nor  the  teachers  of  the  College  at  Sendai,  there  are  in  the 
field  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Tohoku  46  Japanese 
ministers  preaching  regularly  at  no  stations,  while  58 
other  points  are  visited  at  least  twice  a  year.  There  are 
2,773  adult  members,  and  7,137  children  in  the  Sunday 
Schools. 

A  Great  Congregational  Missionary.  As  far  back 
as  1879,  a  graduate  of  Doshisha  named  Yamazaki  began 
work  at  Maezawa  in  Iwate  Prefecture.  President  Nii- 
shima  of  Doshisha  took  a  special  interest  in  Wakamatsu, 
in  Fukushima  Prefecture,  because  his  wife  was  a  lady 
of  that  city,  and  the  inquirers  there  were  on  account  of 
this  connection  organized  as  a  Congregationalist  Church. 
In  1886,  an  arrangement  was  made  with  the  authorities 
of  Sendai  for  the  establishment  of  a  modern  school  with 
the  understanding  that  three  missionary  teachers  should 
be  furnished  by  the  American  Board.  The  school  (To- 
kwa  Gakko)  was  disbanded  in  1891,  when  the  pressure  of 
the  revulsion  against  foreign  ways  began  to  be  felt. 
But  this  experiment  was  the  occasion  of  bringing  into  the 
North  a  noted  missionary,  John  Hyde  DeForest,  who  had 
had  an  experience  of  twelve  years  in  Osaka.  Dr.  De- 
Forest  blazed  the  trail  for  successful  evangelists  in  Japan. 
He  realized  how  important  it  was  to  love  the  people,  to 
get  their  point  of  view  and  to  introduce  Christian  doctrine 
to  them  gradually  and  not  too  abruptly.  He  is  well 
known  to  Americans,  haying  been  for  twenty-five  years  a 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         131 

correspondent  of  "The  Independent,"  and  author  of  the 
mission  study  book  entitled  "Sunrise  in  the  Sunrise 
Kingdom."  It  was  largely  due  to  him  that  the  welcome 
given  to  Christian  missionaries  in  the  city  of  Sendai  has 
been  more  cordial  than  anywhere  else  in  Japan,  and  he 
had  great  influence  in  shaping  the  policies  of  the  Tohoku 
Mission.  In  1913,  a  magnificent  church  was  built  in 
Sendai  in  memory  of  Dr.  DeForest.  Two-thirds  of  the 
money  required  for  its  erection  was  contributed  by  grate- 
ful Japanese. 

Congregationalists'  Faith  in  the  Japanese.  The 
Congregationalists  have  in  general  been  very  successful, 
because  they  put  the  responsibility  for  the  work  upon 
the  Japanese  themselves.  The  proportion  of  churches 
that  are  independent  of  financial  aid  from  America  is  re- 
markably large.  The  congregations  at  Sendai  and  Waka- 
matsu  have  been  self-supporting  for  many  years.  At 
the  same  time  there  is  a  weakness  in  this  policy.  A 
Congregationalist  church  is  not  under  the  control  of  a 
bishop  or  a  presbytery.  Consequently,  if  the  pastor  of 
an  independent  church  fails  to  discipline  members  who 
are  guilty  of  unchristian  acts,  but  who  contribute  liberally, 
there  is  no  authority  to  call  him  to  account.  Such  con- 
ditions have  in  one  case  at  least  destroyed  the  fruit  of 
much  of  Dr.  DeForest's  labor.  Further,  the  American 
Board,  having  a  widely  extended  work,  and  assured  by 
men  like  Dr.  DeForest  that  the  time  was  near  when  the 
work  in  Japan  might  be  turned  over  to  the  Japanese, 
failed  to  send  reinforcements  of  young  missionaries  when 
they  were  needed.  There  is  today  no  missionary  of  that 
body  in  Tohoku  proper  except  Miss  Bradshaw  of  Sendai, 
whose  influence  over  the  young  men  who  congregate  in 
that  city  to  attend  the  schools  has  been  wonderful. 


132  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Vigorous  Work  at  Niigata.  The  work  of  missionaries 
from  abroad  in  Niigata  Prefecture  is,  at  the  present  time, 
divided  between  the  Congregationalists  and  the  Episco- 
palians. The  former  seem  disposed  to  withdraw  from 
other  parts  of  Tohoku  and  concentrate  here.  Some 
years  ago  a  missionary  of  the  American  Board,  named 
Mr.  Pedley,  purchased  a  dune  of  shifting  sand  on  the 
edge  of  the  low-lying  and  insanitary  city  of  Niigata. 
Dirt  had  to  be  hauled  to  make  it  possible  to  raise  grass. 
He  planted  locust  trees  and  soon  had  turned  the  desert 
into  a  park.  After  a  while  some  of  the  prominent  people 
of  the  city  began  to  build  their  residences  beside  his. 
The  present  missionary  is  Mr.  Olds,  whose  wife  is  a 
daughter  of  the  soldier-missionary,  Colonel  Davis.  Mrs. 
Olds  has  for  some  time  been  inviting  the  ladies  living 
near  her  home  to  come  in  once  a  week  for  a  social  chat, 
nothing  being  said,  necessarily,  about  Christianity. 
The  purpose  was  just  to  be  social.  But  they  could  not 
resist  the  silent  influence  of  the  life  of  the  missionary. 
Today  the  whole  neighborhood  is  practically  Christian. 
This  is  one  way  to  do  missionary  work. 

Two  Distinguished  Northerners.  Among  the  bril- 
liant young  Japanese  who  studied  in  the  early  seventies 
under  Dr.  S.  R.  Brown  and  Dr.  J.  H.  Ballagh  were  two 
who  represented  the  foremost  families,  respectively,  of 
Wakamatsu  and  Hirosaki,  which  were,  next  to  Sendai,  the 
most  important  cities  of  the  North.  Ibuka  of  Waka- 
matsu became  the  leader  of  the  Presbyterian  forces,  and 
still  presides  over  their  educational  institution  (Meiji 
Gakuin)  in  Tokyo.  Honda  of  Hirosaki  became  the  head 
of  the  great  Methodist  school  (Aoyama  Gakuin)  inTokyo, 
and  served  as  the  first  Japanese  bishop  of  his  Church 
until  the  time  of  his  death  in  191 2. 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         133 

The  First  Japanese  Methodist  Bishop.  Honda  was 
a  young  Samurai  of  Hirosaki,  in  the  district  of  Tsugaru, 
which  is  at  the  northern  end  of  Tohoku.  Like  his  grand- 
father and  his  father  before  him,  he  enjoyed  the  special 
confidence  of  his  lord  and  the  people.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  he  was  sent  to  negotiate  with  the  lords  of  Akita 
and  Tsurugaoka  with  a  view  to  uniting  the  forces  of  the 
North  in  opposition  to  the  new  government.  Before  his 
mission  was  accomplished,  the  rebellion  had  collapsed 
and  the  lord  of  Tsugaru  had  yielded.  According  to  the 
code  of  the  Samurai  in  these  circumstances  the  only 
thing  for  young  Honda  to  do  was  to  commit  harakiri, 
that  is,  to  plunge  his  short  sword  into  his  abdomen  (the 
seat  of  the  soul),  and  kill  himself  by  way  of  atonement  and 
apology.  It  is  said  that  the  people  of  Tsurugaoka,  who 
had  learned  to  love  him,  provided  a  guard  to  escort  him 
back  to  his  own  country,  charging  him  to  see  to  it  that 
the  young  man  be  not  allowed  to  do  himself  any  harm. 
Afterwards  Honda  was  baptized  in  the  Reformed  Church 
in  Yokohama  by  Dr.  Ballagh,  in  1872.  In  Hirosaki 
a  school  was  established  for  the  education  of  the  young 
Samurai  of  the  clan  and  a  former  Methodist  missionary 
named  John  Ing  was  employed,  in  1 874,  to  teach  English 
there.  Through  his  influence  Hirosaki  became  a  Metho- 
dist center  and  Mr.  Honda,  in  1876,  became  a  Methodist 
minister.  At  the  same  time  he  entered  politics.  In  1885 
he  was  president  of  the  prefectural  assembly.  Then 
he  visited  America.  Mr.  Honda  learned  while  in  this 
country  that  the  new  constitution  of  Japan  would  forbid 
religious  men  to  engage  in  politics,  and  he  was  in  a  strait 
betwixt  the  two.  If  he  continued  in  politics,  he  was 
assured   a   brilliant   future   lay   before   him.     Even   Mr. 


134  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Oshikawa,  who  also  was  in  America  at  the  time,  urged  him 
to  accept  a  seat  in  the  Japanese  Parliament  that  was 
offered  him.  He  has  told  how  at  Pittston,  Pa.,  he  stood 
upon  a  bridge  over  the  Susquehanna  River  pondering 
what  answer  he  should  give,  when  an  express-train  rushed 
upon  him  and  his  life  was  barely  saved  by  his  presence  of 
mind  as  he  lay  flat  on  the  edge  of  the  ties  over  the  river. 
This  experience  led  him  to  consecrate  his  life  to  the  min- 
istry. Few  of  his  old  friends  could  understand  his  choice, 
but  God  greatly  honored  him.  As  bishop  of  the  United 
Methodist  Church,  formed  by  the  Japanese  Christians 
won  through  the  work  of  the  Methodist  Churches  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  he  did  more  than  any  other 
one  man  to  make  that  body  the  power  that  it  is  in  Japan- 
ese life  today. 

The  Methodist  Church  in  Tohoku.  Sixty  Christian 
workers,  men  and  women,  came  from  Hirosaki,  but 
Methodism  has  not  been  so  influential  in  Tohoku  as  in 
other  districts.  The  activities  of  this  body  in  all  parts 
of  the  world  are  so  extensive  that  men  and  means  have 
not  been  sufficient  for  the  trying  work  in  the  North. 
The  work  is,  however,  prosecuted  vigorously  at  many 
points  in  Aomori  Prefecture.  At  Hirosaki  there  are 
three  American  ladies  who  conduct  a  girls'  school.  Each 
of  the  other  prefectures  in  Tohoku  has  one,  two  or  three 
Methodist  stations.  The  missionary  in  charge  resides 
at  Sendai,  where  there  is  a  self-supporting  church,  and 
there  three  American  ladies  engage  in  important  philan- 
thropic work,  at  the  same  time  helping  the  work  at  the 
outstations. 

Baptists  of  a  Liberal  Type.  There  was  a  time  when 
we  should  have  had  to  class  the  Baptists   among   the 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         135 

exclusive  bodies;  but  in  recent  years,  though  some  of 
them  hold  the  principle  of  "close  communion,"  that  is, 
refuse  to  acknowledge  as  fellow-Christians  in  the  full 
sense  those  who  have  not  been  immersed,  there  has  been 
more  and  more  of  a  disposition  to  grant  other  bodies  full 
recognition,  and  Baptists  have  been  foremost  in  pro- 
moting united  enterprises. 

Brave  Pioneers.  The  work  of  the  Baptists  in  Tohoku 
is  comparatively  old.  It  was  begun  in  1877  by  Rev. 
Thomas  Pratt  Poate,  an  Englishman  working  under  the 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Union.  Living  in  Yoko- 
hama, he  made  long  tours  through  the  north  country, 
sometimes  being  away  from  home  three  months  at  a  time, 
travelling  by  coasting  steamers,  on  the  backs  of  pack 
horses,  or  on  foot.  In  January,  1880,  the  first  Baptist 
church  of  this  region  was  established  in  the  city  of  Mor- 
ioka.  If  we  mistake  not.  Rev.  E.  H.  Jones  was  the  first 
missionary  to  reside  in  the  city  of  Sendai,  though  Christian 
work  was  begun  there  by  Mr.  Oshikawa,  and  the  Re- 
formed church  in  that  city  was  established  before  Mr. 
Jones  appeared. 

A  Good  Baptist  School.  The  Baptist  institution  in 
Sendai,  whose  name  is  Character-building  Girls*  School 
(Shokei  Jogakko),  celebrated  its  25th  anniversary  and 
dedicated  a  fine  new  recitation  hall  in  the  fall  of  1917. 
The  enrollment  now  reaches  a  hundred,  and  will  be  more 
as  soon  as  the  new  building  is  available.  Including  the 
class  of  1 917,  there  are  136  graduates,  all  Christians, 
and  all  have  received  baptism  except  two,  whose  parents 
forbid  it.  Since  1896  Miss  Annie  S.  Buzzell  has  been 
the  efficient  principal,  building  character  in  the  lives  of 
hundreds  of  girls,   and   in   addition   carrying  on  Bible 


136  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

classes  for  young  men,  from  among  whom  have  come 
many  Christians  and  some  of  the  strong  leaders  of  today. 
The  matron  of  this  school,  Mrs.  Uchida,  was  baptized 
forty-two  years  ago,  in  the  days  when  Christianity  was 
hated  and  feared.  She  is  still  active  in  Christian  work. 
The  teachers  and  students  of  this  Girls*  School  work 
in  eleven  different  Sunday  Schools  and  thus  the  influence 
of  the  institution  is  spread  far  and  wide. 

Baptist  Churches  in  Tohoku.  The  Baptists  are 
doing  good  work  along  the  coasts  on  the  east  side.  They 
have  eight  churches,  of  which  the  one  at  Sendai  is  self- 
supporting,  and  48  other  places  where  regular  preaching 
is  done.  There  are  1260  members  and  3442  Sunday 
School  pupils.  Three  families  and  two  single  women  are 
located  at  Sendai  and  Morioka.  A  kindergarten  at 
Morioka  has  been  helpful  in  opening  the  way  for  evangel- 
istic work. 

The  '^Church  of  Christ.'*  In  the  early  days  the 
Baptists  did  some  work  on  the  west  coast  also,  but  in 
1884  that  was  passed  over  to  the  body  known  as  the 
Church  of  Christ,  or  the  Disciples.  The  center  of  the 
activities  of  the  Disciples  has  been  Akita,  and  a  great 
deal  has  been  done  also  at  Sendai  and  at  Fukushima,  but 
it  is  now  proposed  to  withdraw  from  these  places. 

A  Change  of  Policy.  Much  hard  pioneer  work  has 
been  done  by  the  Baptists  and  the  Disciples,  but  the  re- 
sults have  not  satisfied  them.  The  reason  why  is  best  ex- 
pressed in  the  words  of  their  own  leaders.  Rev.  W.  Wynd 
says:  "The  Baptists  in  Japan  were  very  slow  to  see  the 
value  of  educational  work.  While  other  denominations 
were  laying  the  foundations  of  Christian  schools  where 
future  leaders  were  to  be  trained,  the  Baptists  were  pick- 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         137 

ing  up  such  men  as  they  could  get  and  enlarging  their 
evangelistic  fields  without  much  consideration  for  future 
needs.'*  And  Dr.  Stephen  J.  Corey,  who  just  returned 
to  America  from  a  trip  through  Tohoku,  says:  "A  good 
school  center  is  absolutely  essential  to  efficient  missionary 
work  in  a  land  like  Japan." 

The  Exclusive  Episcopalians.  The  Episcopalians 
in  Tohoku  are  entitled  Holy  Catholic  Church  (Seikokwai). 
This  is  the  name  given  to  the  body  that  resulted  from 
the  union  of  the  missions  of  the  Anglican  Churches  of 
Great  Britain  and  Canada  and  the  American  Episco- 
palian Church.  Missionaries  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  who  are  at  work  in  Hokkaido  to  the  north  of 
Tohoku  and  at  some  points  in  South  Japan  are  liberal  in 
their  attitude  toward  other  denominations;  but  the 
same  cannot  be  said  of  the  American  Episcopalians  who 
are  in  Tohoku.  Their  position  seems  to  be  that  it  is 
their  mission  to  achieve  the  reunion  of  Christendom, 
and  they  show  more  regard  for  the  Greek  and  Roman 
Catholics  than  for  any  other  denominations.  So  far 
as  Protestants  are  concerned,  they  officially  decline  to 
be  bound  by  what  is  called  comity,  that  is,  the  under- 
standing among  missionaries  that  there  shall  be  no  compe- 
tition in  places  that  are  too  small  to  justify  the  establish- 
ment of  more  than  one  church.  Generally  their  clergy- 
men and  laymen  are  forbidden  to  associate  with  Protest- 
ants in  religious  services  or  evangelistic  work.  What  is 
said  here  does  not  apply  to  the  Episcopalian  Church  in 
Niigata  Prefecture,  which  is  in  charge  of  missionaries 
from  Canada. 

An  Energetic  Church.  The  Episcopalians  in  To- 
hoku seem  to  have  abundant  resources  and  are  carrying 


138  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

out  a  comprehensive  plan  to  establish  themselves  in 
principal  cities  covering  the  whole  field.  Their  methods 
differ  from  those  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  that  they  do 
less  preaching  to  the  general  public  and  abhor  street 
preaching,  but  make  much  of  altars,  vestments,  masses 
and  the  like.  One  admirable  trait  of  the  workers  is  their 
care  of  their  scattered  members.  No  matter  where  a 
member  may  live  he  is  visited,  and  the  sacrament  is  ad- 
ministered to  him  at  regular  intervals.  The  members 
number  nearly  one  thousand.  The  Episcopalians  have 
more  evangelistic  missionaries  in  Tohoku  than  any  other 
body.  Clergymen  are  placed  at  Sendai,  Aomori,  Niigata 
and  Wakamatsu,  and  single  women  work  also  at  Morioka, 
Hirosaki,  Akita,  Yamagata  and  Koriyama.  A  very 
efficient  ''Church  Training  School  for  Mission  Women" 
is  maintained  at  Sendai,  with  a  kindergarten,  and  there 
are  five  kindergartens  at  other  stations. 

The  Seventh-Day  Adventists.  An  exclusive  sect  that 
aims  to  win  the  other  Christians  over  to  their  way  of 
thinking  is  that  of  the  Adventists,  who  appear  at  Waka- 
matsu and  Fukushima.  They  so  emphasize  their  peculiar 
doctrines  that  the  Japanese  among  whom  they  work  are 
apt  to  get  the  impression  that  the  Christian  religion  is 
a  matter  of  observing  the  Jewish  sabbath  and  abstaining 
from  certain  kinds  of  food  and  drink. 

Valuable  Auxiliary  Work.  An  organization  called 
the  Oriental  Missionary  Society,  about  five  years  ago, 
decided  it  was  their  mission  to  place  Christian  literature 
in  every  house  in  the  empire.  In  Tohoku,  too,  they  have 
been  carrying  out  this  plan  and  have  covered  large  sec- 
tions of  the  country.  In  some  of  the  most  remote  dis- 
tricts among  the  mountains  our  missionaries  have  found 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         139 

that  tracts  have  been  distributed  from  house  to  house. 
This  work  is  auxiliary  to  that  of  the  regular  churches. 
The  society  also  does  preaching  on  the  streets  after  the 
manner  of  the  Salvation  Army,  in  a  few  cities  and  towns. 

The  Salvation  Army.  In  Tokyo  and  other  great 
cities  of  Japan  the  Salvation  Army  is  doing  a  work  that 
deeply  impresses  the  public.  Its  method  is  quite  similar 
to  that  pursued  in  western  lands.  It  has  its  military 
organization,  its  bands,  its  open  air  meetings,  and  its 
charitable  activities.  In  Tokyo  there  are  cheap  lodging 
houses,  hospitals,  sanatoria,  refuges  for  discharged 
criminals,  rescue  homes  for  fallen  women,  and  the  like. 
Its  workmen's  homes,  of  which  there  are  three  in  the 
industrial  section  of  Tokyo,  in  191 6  found  daily  employ- 
ment for  more  than  30,000  and  permanent  employment 
for  about  10,000.  Wherever  the  Salvation  Army  goes 
it  is  sure  to  get  into  conflict  with  the  owners  of  the  bad 
houses  in  which  slave  girls  are  abused,  of  whom  hundreds 
have  been  saved.  It  is  a  part  of  the  policy  of  the  Army 
to  derive  most  of  its  support  from  the  country  in  which 
it  works.  This  makes  it  somewhat  dependent  on  older 
Christian  organizations  in  fields  where  its  work  is  still  new. 
Last  year  ^16,431  were  raised  among  the  Japanese. 
Recently  the  Emperor  in  recognition  of  the  good  work 
done  along  social  lines  made  a  contribution  of  $4,000. 
In  Tohoku  the  Army  is  not  yet  strong,  and  has  not  begun 
social  work  of  any  account.  Some  criminals  and  prosti- 
tutes who  appeal  for  aid  are  sent  to  its  institutions  in 
Tokyo. 

The  Churches'  Debt  to  the  Salvation  Army.  As 
an  aggressive,  insistent,  evangelistic  agency  the  work  of 
the  Army  is  important  and  highly  valued  by  our  mis- 


140  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

sionaries.  The  best  literature  for  distribution  among  the 
common  people  is  that  prepared  by  Mr.  Yamamuro- 
Gumpei,  whose  little  book,  "The  Common  People's 
Gospel,"  has  for  years  been  sold  and  distributed  by  tens 
of  thousands.  Mr.  Kanamori-Tsurin  is  another  popular 
speaker  and  writer  enrolled  in  the  Army.  Originally 
he  belonged  to  Doshisha,  but  in  middle  life  became  an 
employee  of  the  government.  He  was  engaged  to  lecture 
all  over  the  country  on  the  subject  of  thrift,  encouraging 
people  to  save  their  money  and  not  spend  it  foolishly,  as 
they  are  so  apt  to  do.  At  the  same  time  he  became 
worldly,  and  is  said  to  have  been  guilty  of  acts  not  be- 
coming a  Christian.  But  recently  he  has  repented  and 
thrown  the  whole  force  of  his  remarkable  personality 
into  evangelistic  work.  His  method  is  to  have  Christians 
gather  their  relatives  and  friends  in  a  meeting  where  he 
presents  the  Gospel  and  urges  immediate  decision.  His 
work  has  given  great  impetus  to  a  number  of  our  churches. 

No  Lutherans  in  the  North.  Speaking  now  of 
Protestant  Missions  in  Tohoku  generally,  two  interesting 
facts  may  be  noted.  One  is  that  the  missionaries  are 
with  hardly  an  exception  all  Americans.  The  other  is 
that  there  are  no  Lutherans  in  Tohoku;  most  of  them 
are  in  Kyushu,  at  the  other  end  of  the  empire. 

Christian  Unity.  The  question  is  often  asked  whether 
the  Japanese  are  not  confused  by  the  multiplication  of 
sects.  There  is  no  reason  why  this  should  be,  unless  the 
Christians  call  attention  to  their  divisions  by  criticising 
one  another  in  public.  The  Japanese  are  accustomed  to 
denominational  distinctions  in  their  old  religions,  and 
these  do  not  trouble  them,  provided  the  various  congre- 
gations in  a  city  preach  the  same  Gospel  and  often  get 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         141 

together  for  united  prayer  and  effort.  The  large  co- 
operating churches  do  this.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  the 
Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai  would  even  adopt  baptism  by 
immersion,  government  by  a  bishop,  observance  of  the 
seventh  day,  and  so  forth,  if  thereby  the  reunion  of  all 
Christians  could  be  achieved.  But  it  would  be  a  mistake 
to  yield  to  the  contention  that  one  who  does  not  practice 
the  same  cannot  be  a  true  Christian. 

The  Union  Hymnal.  Excepting  the  Episcopalian 
Church  and  the  Salvation  Army,  all  Christians  use  the 
same  Hymnal,  which  was  prepared  in  1903  by  a  com- 
mittee representing  the  co-operating  churches.  In  its 
preparation  a  leading  part  was  played  by  the  late  Rev. 
T.  M.  MacNair,  a  Presbyterian  missionary,  who  was 
classmate  and  friend  of  President  Wilson.  The  tunes 
are  nearly  all  borrowed  from  Europe  and  America,  since 
the  old  native  melodies  would  be  incongruous,  and  there 
has  not  been  time  enough  to  develop  native  composers. 
But  as  harbingers  of  better  things  to  come,  two  beautiful 
Oriental  tunes  are  included,  one  Japanese  and  one  Chinese. 
The  Hymnal  is  one  of  the  most  popular  books  ever  pub- 
lished in  Japan,  and  its  sale  is  not  limited  to  Christians 
by  any  means.  One  who  journeys  over  the  land  hears 
hymns  sung  and  hummed  in  the  most  unexpected  places, 
and  there  is  many  a  story  of  a  Japanese  converted  by 
hearing  a  hymn. 

Christianity  Triumphant.  Considering  all  the  ob- 
stacles in  the  way,  it  is  marvelous  that  the  Christian 
religion  makes  the  progress  it  does.  There  is  no  way  of 
explaining  the  fact,  but  by  recognizing  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  in  it  and  that  the  heart  of  man  is  "naturally 
Christian."     Let  this  chapter  be  concluded  with  a  few 


142  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

illustrations  to  show  how  Christianity  displaces  the  old 
religions. 

A  Crucial  Test.  At  Shirakawa  a  certain  druggist 
who  had  taken  a  leading  part  in  building  a  shrine  and  a 
temple  in  that  town,  suddenly  last  year,  surprised  his 
friends  by  becoming  a  Christian.  The  cause  was  an 
attack  of  "spiritual  agony'*  {hamwori).  In  his  distress 
it  occurred  to  him  that  none  of  the  priests  of  his  acquaint- 
ance could  give  him  real  help.  He  inquired  if  there  was 
a  Christian  minister  of  high  character,  was  directed  by  a 
daughter  to  Pastor  Sugai,  and  found  peace. 

Fulfillment  of  Shinto.  It  is  not  surprising  that 
Shintoists  should  readily  become  Christians,  because, 
compared  with  Christianity,  Shinto  is  like  an  empty 
shell.  But  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  best  material 
for  the  Christian  ministry  is  often  found  among  the 
descendants  of  priestly  families.  Miss  Kawai,  the 
dauntless  secretary  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  is  from  a  long 
line  of  priests  that  ministered  at  the  Imperial  Shrines  of 
Ise.  To  give  one  of  several  examples  from  Tohoku, 
Pastor  Tsuchida  of  Akita  was  born  heir  to  the  shrine  in 
the  village  of  Nagaoka,  near  Fukushima.  "When  that 
which  is  perfect  is  come,  that  which  is  in  part  shall  be 
done  away." 

Jesus  Wiser  Than  Confucius.  The  most  respected 
citizen  of  the  village  of  Yamaguchi,  Fukushima  Prefecture, 
a  Confucian  scholar,  recently  became  a  Christian.  He 
had  been  greatly  respected  for  his  scholarship,  and  many 
a  house  in  the  district  is  decorated  with  specimens  of  his 
handwriting.  He  had  always  been  a  man  of  high  moral 
character,  so  reliable  that  the  government  appointed  him 
postmaster.     In   rural   Japan,   since   the   postoffice   has 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         143 

charge  of  all  mails,  parcels,  telegraphs  and  bank-accounts, 
the  position  is  far  more  important  and  responsible  than 
in  America .  The  first  impulse  of  his  conversion  came  from 
a  son  who  received  baptism  while  he  was  a  student  at 
Wakamatsu.  This  angered  the  father  greatly  at  the 
time,  but  the  later  conduct  of  his  son  was  so  exemplary 
that  he  was  led  to  believe  in  the  power  of  the  Gospel. 
Suddenly  a  trusted  clerk  in  the  postoffice  embezzled  a 
large  sum  and  fled,  leaving  word  that  the  old  man  knew 
all  about  the  matter.  He  was,  in  fact,  entirely  innocent. 
The  police  took  him,  however,  and  kept  him  in  jail  at 
Wakamatsu  for  a  while.  It  can  be  imagined  how  dumb- 
founded and  enraged  he  was.  From  the  jail  he  sent  to 
the  missionary  for  a  New  Testament;  he  asked  for  one  in 
large  letters,  because  the  cell  was  dark.  He  read  it 
through  in  nine  days,  hating  the  young  man  all  the  time. 
He  read  it  through  in  seven  days,  still  hating.  He  read 
it  again  in  five  days,  and  again  he  read  it.  Its  spirit 
soothed  him;  he  found  peace;  he  forgave  the  offender; 
he  felt  that  this  experience  was  of  God.  When  his  inno- 
cence was  established  and  he  was  released,  he  had  be- 
come an  humble  child  of  God,  ready  to  stay  in  jail  all  his 
life  if  God  so  willed.  He  said  to  the  missionary  after- 
wards: *T  was  so  happy  that  I  actually  gained  in  weight 
while  I  was  in  prison.'* 

Christ  Stronger  Than  Buddha.  It  is  harder  to 
win  a  devout  Buddhist,  but  not  impossible.  A  student 
of  the  theological  seminary  of  the  Sodo  Sect  in  Sendai,  a 
sincere  young  man  named  Sakano,  had  spent  eight  years 
in  special  preparation  for  the  priesthood.  But  he  would 
at  times  steal  away  from  the  temple  to  hear  Christian 
preaching,  until  at  last  he  was  convinced  and  asked  for 


144  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

baptism.  It  was  so  hard  to  believe  that  a  man  of  his 
type  was  really  converted  that  for  a  while  he  was  under 
suspicion  as  a  spy;  but  his  sincerity  has  been  proved 
over  and  over.  He  is  now  a  pastor,  the  only  Christian 
worker  among  30,000  people  of  his  native  district  of 
Watari.  The  welcome  given  him  shows  that  he  is  an 
exception  to  the  old  rule  that  **a  prophet  hath  no  honor 
in  his  own  country." 

Victory  Over  the  Gates  of  Hades.  The  wife  of  a 
certain  member  of  Parliament,  living  in  Sendai,  was  in  a 
hospital,  not  expected  to  live  longer  than  a  month.  A 
lady  missionary  of  Sendai  thus  describes  her  experience: 
"For  five  years  I  had  tried  to  bring  her  to  Christ.  She 
refused  many  times  to  see  me.  She  was  president  of  the 
Buddhist  Society  in  Sendai  and  was  well  versed  in  Bud- 
dhism, being  a  graduate  of  the  Higher  Normal  School  of 
Tokyo.  She  had  promised  her  mother  on  her  deathbed 
that  she  would  never  leave  Buddhism.  Hearing  that  she 
was  in  the  hospital,  I  went  and  asked  if  I  might  see  her. 
The  doctor  said  yes,  but  I  must  not  speak  to  her  because 
she  was  too  low.  So  when  I  entered  the  room  I  said: 
*I  would  like  to  talk,  but  the  doctors  have  forbidden  it. 
I  am  going  to  pray  for  you.'  I  knelt  by  her  bedside  and 
prayed  in  English  that  the  Lord  would  let  her  live  long 
enough  to  be  led  to  Him.  A  week  later  I  visited  her  again. 
When  I  entered  the  room  she  looked  up  and  said:  'Why 
did  you  not  come  sooner?  I  have  been  waiting  every  day 
for  you.  Do  you  remember  that  prayer?  That  did  me 
more  good  than  all  the  medicine.  For  the  first  time  I 
had  a  peace  and  quiet  here  (pointing  to  her  heart)  that 
was  never  there  before.  I  want  to  feel  it  again.  The 
doctors  say  I  must  die.     I   don't  want  to  die.     I   am 


Gleams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness         145 

afraid  to  die.  And  what  about  my  children?*  I  told 
her  that  to  the  Christian  death  was  not  the  end,  it  was 
only  the  beginning  of  a  new  and  most  wonderful  life.  I 
sang  of  heaven  to  her  and  read  to  her  of  heaven.  Before 
leaving  I  taught  her  like  a  little  child  how  to  pray.  Three 
days  afterwards,  when  I  visited  her,  her  face  shone  almost 
like  that  of  an  angel.  I  never  saw  a  happier  face  in  all  my 
life.  She  said:  *I  can  hardly  believe  that  I  am  the  same 
person.  How  have  I  lived  all  these  years  without  Jesus? 
I  am  no  longer  afraid  to  die.  I  am  only  praying  the  Lord 
to  let  me  live  long  enough  to  lead  my  children  to  Him, 
then  I  want  to  go  home.'  She  lived  five  years  longer, 
and  was  a  power  for  Christ  in  the  city.  Her  three  daugh- 
ters are  fine  Christian  girls.** 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work 


j 
THE  AMERICAN  MISSIONARY  AT  WORK  1 

Introduction:  Missionaries  Needed,  as  Specialists,  as  Pioneers,  Ur- 
gently Needed,  as  Assistants,  not  as  Rulers.  ' 

A.  The  Missionary's  Living:  Imitation  of  the  Japanese  Style  Not 

Wise,  American  Home  Best.  | 

I.  Lot  and  House,  Expensive.  \ 

1.  Servants,  Food,  Fuel  and  Light,  Clothes.  ; 

3.  Salary. 

4.  Care  of  Children.  \ 

B.  The  Missionary's  Preparation:  Language  Study:  \ 

1.  Hindrances  to  Mastery.  j 

2.  Use  of  Ancient  Chinese,  Cumbersome  Method  of  Writing,  | 

Need  of  Reform. 

3.  Proficiency  Possible. 

C.  The  Missionary's  Work:  as  an  Individual: 

1.  At  Home:  Helper,  Correspondence,  Visiting. 

2.  On  the  Road:  Conveyances,  Hotels:  No  Chairs,  No  Private 

Baths,  Food,  Bed,  Little  Rest. 

3.  Extracts  from  Missionary  Diaries. 

D.  The  Missionary's  Work:  as  Member  of  an  Organization: 

1.  The     "Mission":  Treasurer's     Work,     Secretary's     Work,  i 

Boards  and  Committees.  j 

2.  The  Larger  Organizations.  j 

3.  Assignment,  Distribution,  Grouping. 

E.  The  Missionary's  Rest:  j 

1.  Annual  Vacation,  Karuizawa,  Takayama.  ; 

2.  Furlough.  j 
Conclusion:  Justification  of  the  Expense.  * 


THE  AMERICAN  MISSIONARY  AT  WORK 

Need  of  Missionaries.  It  can  readily  be  understood 
that  the  presence  of  American  missionaries  may  be  some- 
what offensive  to  a  proud  people  like  the  Japanese. 
Indeed,  we  acknowledge  that  at  best  their  activities  are 
more  or  less  embarrassing  to  the  Japanese  churches.  Of 
course,  a  great  deal  depends  on  the  tactfulness  of  the 
workers.  But  missionaries  are  pills,  even  though  they 
are  sugar-coated.  They  may  be  disagreeable  and  they 
may  even  be  upsetting.  The  important  question  is: 
"Are  they  needed  ^     Will  the  good  far  outweigh  the  harm  ?'* 

Specialists  Welcomed.  We  have  seen  that  Japanese 
Christianity  is  well  established.  Probably  even  if  mis- 
sionaries from  abroad  withdrew,  the  Church  would  still 
hold  its  own  in  the  large  centers.  Some  have  been  so 
impressed  by  the  competence  of  the  Japanese  to  evangelize 
their  own  countrymen  that  they  have  said  that  the  work 
of  the  American  missionaries  is  about  finished,  and  that 
the  only  ones  needed  now  are  experts,  capable  of  serving 
as  advisers  to  the  Japanese.  In  some  lines  of  work, 
political,  military,  medical  and  industrial,  the  Japanese 
were  at  one  time  quite  dependent  upon  their  foreign  ad- 
visers, but  have  gradually  learned  to  dispense  with  them, 
except  in  a  few  cases  where  those  who  have  highly  spe- 
cialized are  still  employed.     It  is  not  strange  that  many 

149 


150  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

have  believed  that  in  religious  work  also  only  a  few 
specialists  are  needed.  All  agree  that  in  every  Chris- 
tian educational  institution  missionary  specialists  are 
indispensable.  Since  the  English  language  and  literature 
are  one  of  the  most  important  elements  in  a  liberal  edu- 
cation for  the  Japanese,  teachers  of  that  language  are, 
and  probably  always  will  be,  in  demand.  There  are 
also  some  subjects  such  as,  for  instance.  Western  History, 
which  can  be  taught  much  more  effectively  by  an  American 
than  by  a  Japanese.  In  the  work  of  the  churches  also 
anyone  can  see  how  missionaries  can  give  invaluable  aid 
in  such  ways  as  developing  congregational  music, 
improving  Sunday  Schools  and  kindergartens,  intro- 
ducing modern  methods  of  social  service,  and  so  forth. 

Call  for  Pioneers.  At  a  conference  of  Japanese 
Christian  leaders,  conducted  by  Dr.  John  R.  Mott,  in 
April,  1 9 13,  request  was  made  for  missionaries,  "who  have 
special  qualifications  for  tasks  that  cannot  at  present  be 
undertaken  by  Japanese,"  and  to  ''undertake  pioneer 
evangelization."  At  that  conference  there  was  quite  a 
discussion  in  regard  to  this  matter.  Some  of  the  Japa- 
nese leaders  whose  experience  with  missionaries  had  been 
limited,  took  the  position  that  missionaries  are  not  needed 
at  the  front.  Other  Japanese  leaders  took  a  diametric- 
ally opposite  position.  They  seemed  to  feel  that  mission- 
aries make  the  best  pioneers,  and  that  it  was  regrettable 
that  they  had  been  so  largely  concentrated  at  head- 
quarters. The  fact  is  that  missionaries  are  needed,  not 
only  at  headquarters,  where  they  are  least  misunderstood 
and  most  influential,  but  also  on  the  firing  line,  where 
their  confidence  and  initiative  make  them  really  essential 
to  the  accomplishment  of  the  evangelization  of  the  Jap- 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  151 

anese  in  this  generation.  The  conference  asked  for 
many  missionaries  to  devote  themselves  to  the  task  of 
evangelizing  the  80  per  cent  of  the  nation  that  has  not 
yet  been  taught  the  Gospel,  in  the  proportion  of  one  to 
60,000  of  the  population.  At  that  rate,  apart  from  the 
specialists  in  the  schools  and  elsewhere,  Tohoku  needs  125. 

Urgency  of  the  Need.  The  fact  that  the  Japanese 
can  run  their  own  arsenals,  hospitals,  railroads,  etc., 
without  help  from  outsiders  is  no  argument  for  the  opin- 
ion that  they  need  no  assistance  in  the  matter  of  religion. 
The  point  is  that  they  have  always  cared  for  those  ma- 
terial things,  and  they  learned  about  them  all  they  could, 
even  before  1853,  so  that  they  were  fully  prepared  to 
absorb  quickly  all  the  lessons  in  science  that  the  modern 
world  had  to  teach  them;  but  the  great  majority  did  not 
care  for  true  religion,  and  will  not  care  if  we  do  not 
use  our  influence  upon  them.  Americans  who  doubt  the 
need  of  missionaries  for  Japan  do  not  know  the  greatness 
of  the  task,  nor  its  difficulty,  nor  its  urgency.  They  do 
not  understand  that  the  Christian  forces  have  but  scratch- 
ed the  surface  of  the  field,  and  that  millions  of  the  people 
are  still  untouched.  They  have  not  learned  from  history 
that  Christianity  has  never  yet,  in  any  country,  won  a 
decisive  and  final  victory  over  Buddhism,  but  has  suffered 
more  than  one  defeat.  They  do  not  see  the  present  op- 
portunity and  do  not  consider  what  a  defeat  in  Japan 
would  mean  to  America  and  to  the  world. 

Not  Lordship  But  Service.  At  the  same  time 
those  are  quite  right  who  contend  that  the  missionary  goes 
to  Japan  to  do  what  the  Japanese  could  not  do  without 
his  aid.  It  is  not  his  business  to  rule,  but  to  help.  The 
missionary  who  really  succeeds  is  the  quiet,  patient,  self- 


152  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

effacing  person  who,  so  far  as  the  native  church  is  con- 
cerned, takes  the  attitude  of  an  auxiliary,  but  in  the 
special  work  assigned  him  is  energetic  and  reliable. 
Wherever  he  works  in  this  spirit  the  Japanese  Christians 
beg  that  more  missionaries  of  the  same  kind  be  sent. 

The  People  Not  to  be  Americanized.  There  are 
too  many  Americans  who  assume  that  the  aim  of  mis- 
sionary work  is  to  Americanize  the  Japanese.  They  do 
not  understand  the  cosmopolitan  spirit  of  our  religion. 
The  Japanese,  in  their  long  history,  have  acquired  certain 
traits  which  qualify  them  when  imbued  with  the  Spirit 
of  Christ,  to  render  a  unique  service  to  the  other  nations. 
It  would  be  a  loss  to  the  whole  world  to  have  the  people 
Americanized  so  as  to  efface  the  peculiar  qualities  which 
God  has  given  to  them.  We,  who  have  worked  among 
them,  believe  that  when  they  have  once  apprehended  the 
Gospel,  they  may  understand  it  and  interpret  it  better 
than  we  of  the  West  have  ever  been  able  to  do.  It  is  not 
only  possible,  but  quite  probable,  that  a  Christianized 
Japan  will  bring  to  the  aid  of  the  Christian  forces  in 
America,  a  new  appreciation,  a  fresh  interest,  that  will 
have  a  decisive  influence  in  the  conflict  between  good  and 
evil  in  our  own  land.  We  need  to  think  of  the  missionary 
enterprise  in  international  terms  and  not  as  narrow 
American  provincials. 

The  Missionary  Not  to  be  Japanized.  Should  the 
American  missionary  then  try  to  become  a-Japanese  in  life 
and  habits?  No,  his  work  would  be  less  effective  if  he 
succeeded  in  making  a  counterfeit  Japanese  of  himself. 
The  people  have  made  a  careful  study  of  all  the  nations 
of  the  world  and  they  highly  appreciate  and  respect  the 
missionary  as  a  representative  American.     Frankly,  in 


..mi 

1  ^'     vfl^^Hli^^V 

1 

W^^^^^  ^  <*16^^  ■ 

The  American  Missionary  at  Work  153 

this  regard,  the  average  Japanese  surpasses  the  average 
American.  When  Americans  see  a  foreigner  in  strange 
garb  displaying  queer  manners,  the  instant  demand  is 
that  he  should  give  up  his  oddities  and  become  American- 
ized. There  is  a  certain  justification  for  this  attitude 
because,  as  a  nation,  we  are  composed  of  descendants  of 
immigrants  and  are,  therefore,  naturally  impatient  to 
see  all  foreigners  assimilated.  But  the  Japanese  have 
such  a  strong  national  life  and  are  so  assimilated  to  one 
type  that  the  presence  of  foreigners  does  not  irritate 
them.  They  want  the  Americans  among  them  to  live 
as  genuine  Americans  in  order  that  they  may  from  them 
learn  how  to  enrich  their  own  lives. 

The  American  Style  Best  for  the  Worker.  Ex- 
periments have  been  tried  in  the  way  of  imitating  the 
native  mode  of  life.  All  who  have  experience  are  prac- 
tically unanimous  that  the  wisest  policy  for  the  American 
living  in  Japan  is  to  live  his  own  American  life  as  nearly 
as  he  can.  Japan  has  been  called  the  "Missionary's 
Paradise."  While  the  climate  is  rather  depressing,  in  the 
North  at  least,  it  is  so  much  like  that  of  our  own  coun- 
try, that  the  missionary  who  observes  ordinary  hygienic 
rules  with  extraordinary  strictness,  can,  without  great 
difficulty,  maintain  his  health  and  efficiency.  The 
people,  too,  are  as  courteous  and  considerate  as  they 
know  how  to  be.  But  there  is  another  side  to  this. 
There  is  a  lack  of  stimulus  in  the  physical  atmosphere,  so 
that  one's  nerves  are  quickly  exhausted,  and  in  the  psych- 
ical atmosphere  there  is  a  certain  tension  which  quickly 
drains  one's  vitality.  The  people  with  all  their  kindness 
are  severe;  they  are  so  ceremonious,  so  sensitive,  so  am- 
biguous and  so  exacting.     Experience  has  shown  that  a 


154  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

quiet  American  home,  a  refuge  in  time  of  exhaustion,  is 
essential,  if  the  missionary  is  to  endure  as  a  worker.  It 
would  not  be  impossible  for  some  to  live  in  the  Japanese 
style,  but  then  the  missionary  would  have  no  energy  for 
anything  but  just  living,  or,  rather,  existing. 

Missionary  Residence  Site.  In  selecting  a  site  for  a 
residence,  usually  wherever  possible,  a  considerable 
piece  of  ground  is  secured  for  a  yard  and  garden.  One 
reason  is,  that  it  is  necessary  to  secure  good  sanitary 
conditions.  If  there  are  children,  there  must  be  a  some- 
what secluded  place  where  they  may  play.  When  they 
appear  on  the  streets  unattended  they  are  so  surrounded 
by  people  curious  to  observe  them,  that  it  is  impossible 
for  them  to  move  freely  or  to  play  naturally.  A  family 
of  well-behaved  children  is  a  great  asset  in  work  among 
the  Japanese.  They  destroy  suspicion  and  prejudice; 
for  "one  touch  of  nature  makes  the  whole  world  kin." 
But  missionary  children  allowed  to  run  the  streets  are 
quickly  ruined.  The  average  size  of  the  lot  may  be  a 
piece  about  120  feet  square.  In  the  ordinary  town  or 
city,  excepting  Tokyo,  such  a  lot  can  be  secured  for  from 
1 500  to  $1,000. 

Palatial  Appearance.  The  pictures  of  missionary 
residences  sometimes  give  the  impression  that  they  are 
large  and  magnificent.  They  look  like  mansions  with 
conservatories.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  are  not  so  com- 
modious or  so  convenient  as  the  residence  of  an  average 
farmer  in  Pennsylvania  or  Ohio.  A  Japanese  town  is 
usually  built  on  low  land.  The  water  in  the  ground  is 
so  near  the  surface  that  a  dry  cellar  is  impossible.  In 
selecting  a  site  the  missionary  picks  out  a  comparatively 
high  spot  and  sets  his  frame  structure  upon  a  high  founda- 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  155 

tion  in  order  to  get  away  from  the  dampness.  One 
other  reason  why  the  missionary's  residence  looks  so  big 
is  that,  in  the  hygienic  type,  the  rooms  are  so  arranged 
that  everyone  gets  a  large  supply  of  sunshine,  and  glass 
is  used  as  largely  as  possible.  In  America  the  climate  is 
so  dry  and  sunny  that  housewives  lower  the  shades  and 
try  to  keep  out  the  sunlight.  North  Japan  is  damp  and 
cloudy.  The  missionary  who  survives  is  the  one  that 
loves  the  sunshine  and  does  not  allow  any  of  it  to  go  to 
waste.  Accordingly,  when  a  photograph  is  taken  from 
the  south  side  the  house  seems  very  high  and  wide.  It 
is  not,  however,  so  palatial  as  it  looks.  Moreover,  in  the 
case  of  an  evangelistic  missionary  living  out  in  the  country, 
the  house  is  not  only  a  residence,  but  is,  in  a  sense,  an 
administration  building,  with  at  least  one  room  used  as  an 
office.  Where  there  are  children  another  room  is  used 
as  a  school;  for  it  is  not  feasible  to  have  the  children  edu- 
cated in  a  Japanese  school. 

Building  Not  Cheap.  A  house  built  in  American 
style  costs  quite  as  much  as  in  America.  This  is  hard  for 
some  people  to  understand.  Why  should  buildings  be 
so  expensive  in  a  land  where  a  carpenter  earns,  at  best, 
but  40  cents  a  day?  To  illustrate,  the  missionary  wants 
a  hard,  durable  floor  in  his  house,  which  can  be  scrubbed 
and  kept  clean.  In  a  Japanese  lumber  yard  there  is  no 
flooring.  Indeed,  there  are  no  stacks  of  seasoned  lumber. 
The  custom  is,  when  a  house  is  to  be  built,  to  have  trees 
cut  and  hauled  in  from  the  mountains.  In  building  a 
Japanese  house  the  wood  is  worked  up  while  it  is  still 
green.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  secure  any  seasoned  wood 
at  a  reasonable  price.  The  missionary  buys  pine  logs 
and  has  the  flooring  sawed  up  in  the  proper  manner  by 


156  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

hand.  If  he  wishes  to  avoid  having  great  cracks  in  his 
floors  as  the  wood  dries,  and  is  in  a  hurry,  he  must  rig 
up  some  apparatus  to  steam  the  boards  and  dry  them. 
Finally  he  learns  that  it  is  not  only  more  satisfactory, 
but  really  cheaper,  to  buy  pine  flooring  in  Oregon  and  pay 
the  freight  over  the  Pacific,  the  duty  at  Yokohama,  and 
other  expenses  with  freight  to  destination.  So  it  goes. 
With  all  the  cheap  labor,  his  house  is  likely  to  be  rather 
more  expensive  than  a  similar  building  in  America.  Our 
missionary  residences  are,  without  exception,  simple, 
frame,  two-story  buildings. 

Servants  Abundant.  While  the  personal  services  of 
the  people  are  very  cheap,  yet  commodities  are  dear. 
It  astonishes  Americans  to  hear  that  a  servant  may  be 
employed  at  a  salary  of  from  I3.75  to  ^7.50  a  month,  the 
employer  furnishing  only  room,  fuel  and  light.  The 
servant  pays  for  his  own  food.  This  condition  of  things 
may  not  last  long.  Indeed,  it  is  now  becoming  more  dif- 
ficult to  secure  help.  But  in  North  Japan  there  is  still 
a  surplus  of  people  who  want  jobs,  and  the  missionary 
who  knows  how  to  deal  with  the  people  can  usually  find 
devoted  servants  who  are  glad  to  work  for  the  wages 
stated.  Considering  how  much  it  costs  the  Board  to 
send  a  family  across  the  Pacific  and  to  maintain  the  force 
on  the  field,  it  surely  would  be  foolish  for  a  missionary 
and  his  wife  to  spend  valuable  time  doing  chores  that 
any  servant  is  glad  to  do  for  a  pittance  while  they  can 
be  doing  important  work. 

Kinds  of  Servants.  A  large  family  may  employ  as 
many  as  four  servants.  Two  is  the  usual  number.  A 
man  may  be  hired  to  keep  the  grounds  in  order  and  run 
errands.     If  there  is  space  enough  for  a  garden,  he  may 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  157 

earn  most  of  his  pay  by  the  proceeds  in  the  form  of  vege- 
tables and  fruit  which  he  raises,  and  which  cannot  be 
obtained  in  the  market  of  the  town.  The  other  helpers 
are  usually  ^omen;  a  cook,  a  nurse,  and  a  maid-of-all- 
work,  who  attends  to  the  cleaning  and  laundering.  Since 
the  servants  do  not  eat  with  the  family,  preferring  their 
own  Japanese  diet,  which  is  also  cheaper  than  the  Amer- 
ican, they  spend  a  large  part  of  their  time  each  day  pre- 
paring and  eating  their  meals.  It  really  takes  two  or 
three  of  them  to  do  the  work  that  would  be  accomplished 
by  one  American  servant,  in  American  rtwM^^im^  and 
with  the  usual  conveniences.  The  salary  of  one  servant 
may  be  saved  by  the  economy  in  purchases  effected. 
The  nuMinBiry  who  buys  direcdy  must  submit  to  over- 
charges, or  waste  his  time  dickering  or  jewing  after  the 
Japanese  manner. 

High  Cost  of  Liring.  Commodities,  as  has  been  in- 
timated, are  vtry  expensive.  The  namioostry  attempt- 
ing to  live  exclusively  on  the  Japanese  <fiet  of  rice  and 
fish,  would  quickly  lose  either  his  health  or  his  efficiency. 
Articles  characteristic  of  American  diet  are  apt  to  be  more 
expensive  than  in  America,  When  goods  are  imported, 
the  freight,  the  duty  and  the  dealer's  profit,  are  added  to 
the  original  price,  so  that  one  has  to  pay  anywhere  teiit 
i^  to  1}^  times  the  price,  while  Japanese  snhatitulcs 
sell  at  litde  less  than  the  imported  goods.  When  sogar 
sells  in  America  for  3  cents  a  pound,  Japanese  sugar  of  a 
poorer  quality  costs  10  cents  a  pound,  over  ooe>4ialf  o( 
which  amonnt  is  duty  and  anwiimpdon-tax,  collected 
by  the  government;  for  sugar  is  regarded  as  a  luxury, 
not  as  a  staple.     A  cake  of  soap  costing  3  or  4  cents,  can- 


158  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

not  be  imported  by  the  missionary  himself  for  less  than 
9  cents,  because  the  government  regards  white  laundry 
soap  as  a  luxury  and  collects  a  duty  of  4  cents  on  every 
cake.  Milk,  which  is  almost  without  cream,  because 
cows  are  fed  largely  on  bean-refuse,  has  been  costing  10 
cents  a  quart.  On  the  other  hand,  chickens  and  eggs  are 
somewhat  cheaper  than  in  America.  A  missionary  with 
a  large  family  may  be  able  to  have  some  kind  of  fish, 
flesh  or  fowl  four  or  five  times  a  week,  but  cannot  afford 
sweet  desserts.  The  rule  is  to  have  a  simple  breakfast 
of  fruit  and  cereal,  an  ordinary  American  meal  at  noon, 
and  a  cheap  Japanese  meal  in  the  evening.  These  are 
the  conditions  which  the  American  people  are  only  be- 
ginning to  face  in  consequence  of  the  present  war;  but 
missionaries  in  Japan  have  been  familiar  with  them  ever 
since  the  war  with  Russia  in  1904,  after  which  the  cost 
of  living  went  up  and  stayed  up.  Since  the  present  war 
began  prices  are,  of  course,  still  higher  than  those  stated 
above. 

Fuel  and  Light.  For  fuel,  only  soft  coal  can  be  had, 
unless  there  is  a  supply  of  firewood  which  is  brought  down 
from  the  mountains  in  the  spring  freshets  and  sold  by 
companies  to  the  proprietors  of  breweries  and  bath- 
houses. Practically  everywhere  houses  are  lighted  by 
electricity;  for  the  Japanese  have  learned  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  their  abundant  water  power.  In  the  largest 
cities,  gas  also  is  available. 

Clothes.  So  far  as  clothing  is  concerned,  a  man,  unless 
he  is  of  a  large  size,  can  get  fairly  satisfactory  goods  in 
the  town  where  he  lives;  for  Japanese  men  buy  a  great 
deal  of  clothing  of  the  American  style.  The  case  of  wo- 
men is  different.    Except  a  few  in  the  largest  cities,  Japan- 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  159 

ese  women  prefer  their  native  costumes.  Consequently, 
the  American  woman  must  either  buy  at  exorbitant  prices 
or  import  at  risk  of  losing  heavily  on  misfits.  Japanese 
children  are  often  dressed  in  imitation  of  the  foreign  styles 
while  they  are  still  quite  small,  but  so  soon  as  they  be- 
come six  years  old  and  must  go  to  public  school,  boys  and 
girls  alike,  dreading  to  look  queer,  wear  Japanese  gar- 
ments exclusively.  So  the  missionary  may  be  able,  for 
instance,  to  buy  almost  anywhere  overshoes  for  a  little 
child;  but  must  obtain  from  abroad  everything  needed 
for  children  between  the  ages  of  6  and  14.  These  con- 
ditions make  living  very  expensive. 

Salary.  No  matter  who  the  missionary  is,  or  how 
valuable  his  services  are,  he  is  paid  according  to  a  scale 
that  takes  account  only  of  his  actual  needs.  Quite  re- 
cently the  salaries  of  the  missionaries  in  the  Tohoku 
Mission  have  been  raised.  For  a  family,  the  salary  is 
^1300  and  is  gradually  increased  to  $1600,  after  twenty 
years  of  service.  Single  men  and  women  receive  from 
$750  to  $900.  For  each  child  in  the  family  ^50  is  added, 
and  this  allowance  is  increased  to  $200  at  the  age  when 
the  son  or  daughter  must  be  sent  away  from  home  for 
education. 

Education  of  the  Children.  The  great  cross  that 
has  to  be  borne  by  the  missionary  with  a  family  living 
out  in  the  country  is  the  lack  of  suitable  educational 
facilities  for  the  children.  It  is  not  feasible  to  give 
American  children  a  regular  Japanese  education.  The 
fact  is  that  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Chinese  char- 
acters and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  English  language 
can  hardly  be  put  into  the  same  head.  Experience  shows 
that  usually  when  one  kind  of  knowledge  goes  in,  the 


i6o  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

other  goes  out.  Now  to  give  the  child  of  a  missionary  a 
Japanese  education  and  to  fit  him  for  Japanese  life  is 
hardly  just.  With  all  their  courtesy  to  a  white  man,  the 
Japanese  are  not  disposed  to  let  him  in  on  the  ground 
floor,  so  far  as  business  is  concerned.  His  color  is  against 
him  and  he  is  always  treated  as  a  stranger.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  child  is  to  become  an  efficient  missionary,  it 
is  best  that  he  should  have  a  thorough  American  edu- 
cation first.  For  these  reasons  the  missionary's  wife 
teaches  her  children  at  home  as  long  as  she  can.  When 
the  child  reaches  the  age  of  15  or  16,  it  is  necessary  to 
send  him  to  America.  Such  prolonged  separation  is 
very  hard  to  bear.  Recently,  the  situation  has  been 
somewhat  eased  by  the  development  of  the  Grammar 
School  for  Foreign  Children  in  Tokyo.  The  provision 
for  higher  grades  in  this  school  makes  it  possible  for  mis- 
sionaries to  keep  their  older  children  near  them  for  a 
longer  time.  The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  grants  this 
institution  an  annual  appropriation  of  I500. 

Language  Study.  We  have  noted  the  first  great 
problem  of  the  missionary's  life,  which  is  decent  living. 
The  second  is  acceptable  speaking.  One  can  hardly 
exaggerate  the  difficulty  of  the  Japanese  language.  All 
things  considered,  it  is  undoubtedly  the  most  difficult 
language  in  the  world.  It  is  now  the  rule  that  the  new 
missionary  must  stay  a  year  in  Tokyo,  studying  in  the 
Japanese  Language  School  and,  thereafter,  take  regular 
examinations  until  the  prescribed  course  has  been  fin- 
ished. 

Difficulties  of  the  Language.  These  are  some  of 
the  reasons  why  Japanese  is  so  difficult: 

I.     The  order  of  thought  is  entirely  different  from  ours. 


i  :#,  I  ft  V-    if  a 

I  ^  %  -^  tA   ^     t 

^  (^  h  X  t       °    ii 

^  -^  t;  £  ;a- 

-t  t,  t  ^  ^, 

^  $  t  t  ^^ 

t  I  »/^  ^'  t 

t.  -5^  7^  ti  V- 


t 

V 


A  Page  from  a  Child's  Primer 


God  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 
Kami  wa  Katayorazaru  mono. 


t! 


Ka 


mi 


^  ta 

% 


ra 

za 
ru 


mo 


no 


The  same  sentence  written  in  five  ways,  in  Roman  letters,  in  syllabic  let- 
ters as  used  in  telegrams,  in  ordinary  syllabic  letters  as  used  in  poems  and 
hymns,  with  Chinese  characters  for  "God"  and  "partiality"  as  written  in 
official  documents  and  with  the  same  as  written  ordinarily. 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  i6i 

For  example,  if  I  wish  to  say,  *'I  ordered  Taro  to  give 
the  horse  water  before  eating  his  dinner,"  a  literal  transla- 
tion of  the  Japanese  words  would  be:  "Eating  do  before 
horse  to  water  give  way  Taro  to  ordering  put."  In 
translating  a  Japanese  sentence,  the  line  of  least  resis- 
tance is  to  begin  at  the  conclusion  and  work  back  to  the 
beginning.  It  costs  a  severe  struggle  to  learn  to  think 
in  Japanese. 

2.  In  ordinary  conversation,  there  are  three  sets  of 
words,  one  set  to  be  used  in  conversation  with  equals,  an- 
other in  speaking  to  a  superior,  and  another  in  speaking 
to  an  inferior. 

3.  The  conversational  language  is  as  different  from 
the  styles  used  in  letters,  newspapers,  and  books  as  the 
German  dialect  of  Pennsylvania  is  different  from  the 
language  of  Goethe. 

4.  If  one  wishes  to  speak  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep 
the  respect  of  one's  hearers,  it  is  necessary  to  learn  the 
ancient  Chinese. 

Two  Languages  in  One.  In  their  writing,  the  Jap- 
anese use  the  classical  Chinese  characters,  of  which  6,- 
000  are  in  common  use.  To  illustrate,  the  figures  2,  3, 
4  are  Arabic  ideograms.  These  figures  are  read  dif- 
ferently according  to  the  language  of  the  person  who 
sees  them.  So  every  Chinese  symbol  stands  for  some 
noun  or  verb,  or  other  part  of  speech,  and  has  a  different 
name  in  every  language.  The  Chinese  pronunciation 
used  by  the  Japanese  is  not  the  modern  Chinese,  but  an 
ancient  dialect.  For  example,  there  is  a  character  for 
thunder.  The  ancient  Chinese  called  it  rai.  The  same 
character  may  be  read  kami-nari,  a  Japanese  word  which 
means   god-noise.     Both   words   are  understood   by   the 


1 62  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Japanese,  but  since  the  former  is  briefer,  there  is  a  ten- 
dency even  among  the  uneducated  to  prefer  it  to  the 
other.  Now  the  Chinese  words,  which  are  all  monosyl- 
lables, are  used  freely  by  the  Japanese  singly  and  in  com- 
bination. For  example,  an  aeroplane  is  hi-ko-ki^  which 
means  *'fly  go  machine."  There  is  one  important  dif- 
ference between  the  use  of  the  old  Chinese  by  the  Japanese 
and  our  own  use  of  Latin  and  Greek  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. The  Chinese  elements  are  not  assimilated,  but 
incorporated,  so  that,  in  learning  the  Japanese,  one  has  to 
master  both  the  old  Chinese  and  the  Japanese  of  various 
sorts.  The  problem  of  the  missionary  in  China  is  compara- 
tively simple,  for  even  with  the  characters  he  has  but  one 
language  to  learn. 

The  Japanese  Syllabary.  The  Japanese  at  a  very 
early  date  felt  the  need  of  letters  to  spell  out  their  own 
native  words.  This  they  did  by  taking  the  most  common 
Chinese  characters  and  using  them  for  their  sound,  not 
for  their  sense.  Thus,  for  example,  when  they  wish  to 
write  out  the  word  America,  they  use  four  Chinese  char- 
acters, a-me-ri-ka.  The  characters  themselves  mean 
next,  rice,  gain  and  add.  The  Japanese  call  America  be- 
koku,  which  means,  if  you  look  at  the  characters,  rice 
country.  They  have  simply  taken  the  most  prominent 
character,  me  or  be,  and  made  it  stand  for  the  whole  name. 
After  they  had  for  a  long  time  used  the  characters  in  this 
phonetic  way,  they  evolved  from  them  two  sets  of  letters, 
one  made  by  writing  the  characters  used  for  their  sounds 
in  an  abbreviated  cursive  or  flowing  style,  and  the  other 
made  by  taking  fragments  of  the  characters.  Today  one 
sort  is  used  for  Japanese  grammatical  terminations  and 
connectives,  which  cement   together   the  Chinese  words 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work         163 

in  literary  composition.  The  other  set  is  used  to  write 
out  western  names.  These  Japanese  letters,  however, 
stand  for  syllables,  not  for  single  sounds.  There  are 
fifty,  which  are  usually  arranged  thus:  a  (ah),  i  (ee),  u 
(00),  e  (a),  o,  ka,  ki,  ku,  ke,  ko,  sa,  etc. 

Chinese  Characters  Indispensable.  The  Japanese 
way  of  writing  is  surely  the  most  cumbersome  imagin- 
able. Imagine  a  type-setter  in  a  newspaper  office.  He 
holds  his  stick  in  his  hand,  his  manuscript  before  him. 
He  has  a  number  of  assistants  who  gather  for  him  from 
6,000  odd  boxes  the  Chinese  characters  as  he  calls  them 
out,  while  he,  himself,  fits  them  in  together  with  the  syl- 
labic letters  which  he  picks  out  of  his  own  case  of  type. 
But  his  work  is  not  yet  done.  After  he  has  finished  the 
main  lines  he  must  place  to  the  right  of  each  character,  syl- 
labic letters  indicating  the  pronunciation,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  unscholarly  readers  of  the  paper.  It  may  be  asked, 
'■Why  are  not  the  characters  abolished,  or  why  are  not 
the  syllabic  letters  or  our  own  Roman  letters  sufficient?" 
Because,  the  Chinese  words  as  used  by  the  Japanese 
have  been  so  worn  down  that  there  are  a  great  many 
words  that  have  the  same  sound  but  different  senses 
(homonyms;.  We  have  a  few  in  English,  as  for  example, 
pare,  pair,  pear;  but  where  we  count  our  words  having 
the  same  sounds  but  different  senses  by  twos  and  threes, 
the  Japanese  count  theirs  by  scores.  When  you  hear 
a  Japanese  say  so-ko  or  ko-so,  you  cannot  imagine  what 
combination  of  one  of  a  score  of  different  characters  pro- 
nounced ko  and  a  score  of  characters  pronounced  so  may 
be  united  in  this  compound.  Of  course,  the  pure  con- 
versational Japanese  language,  since  it  is  clear  to  the  ear, 
may  also  be  made  clear  to  the  eye  by  means  of  phonetic 


164  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

signs;  but  the  finer  Japanese  literature  was  intended 
rather  for  the  eye  than  for  the  ear  and  is  hardly  intelligible 
when  one  reads  it  aloud.  This  may  explain  why  a  mis- 
sionary very  soon  in  the  course  of  his  studies  comes  to 
prefer  the  old  cumbersome  way  of  writing  the  language. 
When  he  sees  a  word  of  a  technical  character  spelled  out 
in  Japanese  or  Roman  letters,  he  asks  himself  at  once, 
"What  are  the  Chinese  characters  used  here?" 

The  Old  System  Condemned.  An  American  can 
hardly  understand  what  an  intolerable  burden  the  old 
system  is.  Anything  like  a  convenient  dictionary  of  the 
characters  has  hitherto  been  impossible.  A  Russian 
scholar.  Dr.  Rosenberg,  has  just  invented  a  complicated 
system  by  which,  he  claims,  the  place  of  every  character 
can  be  fixed  just  as  the  place  of  an  English  word  is  fixed 
in  one  of  our  alphabetical  dictionaries.  But  in  the  avail- 
able lexicons,  characters  are  arranged  according  to  the 
numbers  of  lines  in  them,  so  that  the  student  loses  hours 
searching  for  those  that  are  unfamiliar.  The  conse- 
quence of  all  these  difliculties  is  that  only  a  specialist 
can  write  the  language  correctly.  Even  a  Japanese  who 
has  had  a  thorough  education  in  the  schools  of  his  own 
land  can  write  hardly  a  sentence  that  is  free  from  blunders. 

Rise  of  a  New  Language.  The  fact  of  the  matter  is 
that  the  Japanese  language  needs  a  complete  reformation. 
When  the  revolution  occurred,  in  our  own  times,  Mr. 
Fukuzawa,  a  noted  scholar  in  Tokyo,  who  advocated  the 
modernizing  of  Japanese  life,  asserted  that  it  was  pos- 
sible for  a  Japanese  to  make  a  public  address  in  his  own 
language,  just  as  English-speaking  people  do.  The 
possibility  was  doubted  until  he  stood  up  and  made  a 
speech  as  a  sample.     Now  public  speaking  is  very  pop- 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  165 

ular.  The  style  of  speech  used  is  extremely  clumsy  and 
hard  to  understand,  but  gradually  there  is  being  evolved, 
by  the  orators  and  the  educators,  a  new  Japanese  lan- 
guage which  will  be  the  basis  of  the  future  literature  of 
Japan.  Dr.  S.  H.  Wainwright,  Secretary  of  the  Chris- 
tian Literature  Society,  says:  'The  Japanese  language 
is  undergoing  a  transformation,  gradually  approaching 
the  English.  In  the  shortening  of  the  sentence,  in  the 
greater  directness  of  style,  and  in  the  various  idiomatic 
changes  taking  place,  it  is  beginning  to  show  the  effect 
upon  its  structure  of  the  widespread  study  of  English." 
When  the  new  language  has  been  developed  the  time  will 
have  come  to  abolish  the  Chinese  characters,  which  are 
an  insuperable  obstacle  to  the  public  school  system  and  a 
dreadful  handicap  to  the  business  of  the  country. 

Value  of  Missionary's  Broken  Japanese.  The 
missionaries  have  a  modest  part  to  play  in  this  trans- 
formation of  the  language.  For  whenever  a  foreigner  at- 
tempts the  language  of  the  country  he  tries  with  all  his 
might  to  express  it  in  ideas  which  have  not  hitherto  been 
expressed  in  it.  He  is  an  originator  of  new  expressions 
and  gives  to  old  words  new  senses.  The  Japanese  often 
say  to  the  missionary  who  uses  the  native  language, 
"You  speak  Japanese  better  than  we."  The  reason  for 
this  impression  is  that  the  missionary  often  succeeds  in 
conveying  a  thought  in  that  language  which  one  to  the 
manner  born  would  fail  to  convey.  It  is  not  only  the 
missionary  that  struggles  with  the  language.  Every 
true  Christian  teacher,  whether  native  or  foreign,  must 
wrestle  with  it. 

Time  Required  to  Learn  the  Language.  After 
a  year  of  diligent  study,  the  American  may  engage  quite 


1 66  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

freely  in  conversation  about  common  things.  After  two 
or  three  years,  by  dint  of  thorough  preparation,  he  may 
undertake  public  addresses.  If  he  is  apt  and  studious, 
in  from  five  to  seven  years,  he  may  acquire  the  power  to 
use  the  language  as  freely  for  all  practical  purposes  as 
his  own  mother-tongue.  However,  it  will  always  be 
true  of  the  most  conscientious  of  missionaries  that  when 
he  speaks  Japanese  he  says  what  he  can  say  rather  than 
what  he  ought  to  say. 

The  Personal  Helper.  The  missionary  is  usually 
granted  a  small  fund  to  enable  him  to  employ  a  "helper," 
a  Japanese  assistant  who  serves  as  interpreter,  guide  or 
secretary.  Such  a  helper  can  be  secured  for  about  ^lo 
a  month.  The  senior  missionary  at  Wakamatsu  employs 
two.  One  is  a  clerk  on  duty  in  the  office  all  day,  who 
attends  to  the  correspondence  and  sifts  out  the  visitors 
who  call.  The  other  is  an  older  man  who  looks  after 
the  missionary's  work  at  places  where  there  is  not  yet  a 
local  Japanese  worker,  arranges  tours  like  an  advance- 
agent,  and,  at  the  same  time,  attends  to  the  Christian 
book-shop  in  the  city,  the  distribution  of  publications,  etc. 
The  missionary's  relation  to  his  helper  is  that  of  a  master 
to  a  servant  and  is  very  different  from  his  relation  to  the 
ministers  of  the  native  Church.  If  the  missionary  is 
young  and  still  a  learner,  the  clerk  may  not  be  needed; 
but  in  his  stead  a  teacher  of  the  language  is  employed. 

Letters.  The  correspondence  of  the  missionary  takes 
a  great  deal  of  his  time.  Letters  come  written  in  various 
styles,  some  in  English  or  near-English,  some  in  Roman 
characters,  some  in  syllabic  characters  of  one  of  the  two 
varieties,  some  in  Chinese  characters  written  like  print 
in  a  plain  style,  which  the  missionary  can  read,  and  others 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  167 

in  the  abbreviated  cursive  or  flowing  style,  which  hardly 
any  missionary  ever  learns  to  read  easily.  To  save 
time,  letters  of  this  last  sort  are  read  aloud  by  the  mis- 
sionary's helper.  It  is  becoming  increasingly  diflicult 
to  secure  a  helper  who  is  able  to  read  a  hastily  written 
letter  with  ease  and  speed.  When  the  sense  of  the  letter 
has  been  extracted  from  the  ambiguous  language  in  which 
it  is  worded,  the  helper  is  instructed  to  write  a  certain 
reply.  He  finds  it  difficult  to  express  the  missionary's 
crisp  ideas  in  the  artificial  and  indirect  style  which  is 
considered  the  proper  thing  in  an  epistolary  communi- 
cation. Sometimes  the  missionary,  after  several  vain  at- 
tempts, cuts  the  Gordian  knot  by  going  to  his  typewriter 
and  writing  off  in  a  few  moments  an  English  letter  which 
expresses  what  he  means  better  than  one  of  the  Japanese 
sort  which  it  has  taken  half  a  forenoon  to  produce. 

Calls.  Let  us  now  look  at  the  life  of  the  missionary 
among  the  people.  His  best  work  is  done  not  so  much 
in  his  formal  speeches  as  in  his  quiet  talks  with  individuals. 
Happy  is  one  who  has  acquired  the  power  to  do  personal 
work.  Wherever  he  goes,  in  nearly  all  cases,  he  receives 
a  hearty  welcome.  There  are  not  a  few  trials  to  be  met 
in  visiting  the  people.  In  North  Japan  when  the  visitor 
appears,  it  is  considered  the  proper  thing  to  serve  him 
with  tea  and  cakes.  If  the  visitor  is  an  American,  he 
must  be  shown  double  honor,  especially  if  the  visit  is  his 
first.  It  is  physically  impossible  to  get  through  many 
visits  in  a  day's  time.  The  tea  is  of  the  strong,  bitter 
Japanese  variety  served  cup  after  cup,  though  the  cup 
is  not  a  large  one.  To  imbibe  much  of  it  means  a  wakeful, 
restless  night,  to  follow.  The  host  with  a  pair  of  chop- 
sticks passes  to  his  guests  one  after  another,  the  daintiest 


1 68  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

bits  of  refreshments  that  he  can  command;  and  not  to 
eat  is  discourteous.  The  next  best  thing  to  eating  is  to 
take  a  piece  of  white  paper  from  one's  pocket  and  wrap 
up  the  refreshments  for  later  consumption.  Most  re- 
grettable is  this  custom.  When  one  goes  to  a  house 
where  there  is  no  large  staff  of  servants  to  do  the  honors, 
the  quiet  talk  which  was  the  object  of  the  visit  becomes 
impossible,  because  host  and  hostess  are  busy  about  many 
things,  intent  upon  doing  what  custom  requires  in  the 
way  of  serving  refreshments. 

Modes  of  Travel.  A  large  part  of  the  missionary's 
time,  whether  he  is  in  so-called  educational  or  so-called 
evangelistic  work,  is  occupied  by  tours  through  the 
country.  Teachers  in  our  institutions  at  Sendai,  who 
have  mastered  the  Japanese  language,  are  in  great  de- 
mand as  preachers  and  lecturers.  Most  of  the  stations 
at  which  regular  work  is  being  done  by  local  evangelists 
can  be  reached  by  railroad.  To  go  to  a  place  that  is  not 
near  a  railroad  one  may  use  in  a  few  cases  a  horse-car  or 
a  small,  springless  omnibus.  Where  these  primitive  fac- 
ilities are  lacking,  the  missionary  chooses  between  his 
own  bicycle  and  a  jinriksha.  The  latter,  an  invention 
of  a  pioneer  missionary,  has  wheels  like  those  of  a  buggy, 
a  small  body  with  a  seat  for  one  and  two  slender  shafts 
between  which  the  "riksha"  man  trots.  Sometimes  the 
missionary  journeys  Ay  coasting-  steamer  or  river-boat. 
There  are,  however,  no  trolleys  in  North  Japan.  Rusty, 
wheezy  old  automobiles  are  just  beginning  to  appear  on 
a  very  few  routes. 

One  Advantage  in  Slowness.  Rev.  H.  Kuyper  of 
Morioka  says:  "The  difficulties  of  travel  make  it  impos- 
sible to  cover  as  much  territory  as  in  places  where  rail- 


Yamagata  City 

(Normal  School  and  Missionary  Residence  in  the  Foreground.) 


A  Business  Street  in  Yamagata  City 


Rev.  H.  H.  Cook  on  the  Road 


Rev.  C.  D.  Kriete  in  a  Hote 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  169 

roads  and  trolleys  abound  and  where  the  roads  are  good, 
but  the  very  fact  that  we  travel  slowly  gives  us  many  op- 
portunities of  doing  evangelistic  work  along  the  way 
with  the  people  we  meet.  This  is  especially  true  of  the 
walking  trips.  I  have  never  been  on  a  walking  trip  with- 
out having  the  opportunity  of  speaking  to  a  number  of 
people  in  an  intimate  way  that  would  be  impossible  in 
train  or  trolley." 

A  Room  at  a  Hotel.  Usually,  the  lodging  place  is 
a  hotel.  There  is  in  North  Japan  one  really  good  Ameri- 
can hotel,  and  that  is  in  the  Park  of  Matsushima,  which 
for  the  sake  of  its  scenic  beauty,  is  much  visited  by  trav- 
elers. When  a  missionary  stops  at  a  hotel  anywhere  else 
he  lives  in  Japanese  style.  At  the  entrance  he  is  expect- 
ed to  take  off  his  shoes,  and,  if  the  roads  are  muddy,  to 
wash  his  feet.  The  room  to  which  he  is  conducted  has 
no  furniture  except  a  box  in  the  center  of  the  room  on 
which  there  is  a  little  fire  of  charcoal.  Over  this  is  also  a 
pot  containing  hot  water;  beside  it,  a  tray  with  tea-pot 
and  cups  for  making  the  inevitable  beverage.  A  few 
thin  cushions  are  provided.  The  guest  kneels  on  a 
cushion,  turns  his  toes  in,  and  sits  on  his  heels. 

Acute  Discomfort.  This  sitting  in  Japanese  style 
is  especially  painful  when  one  wears  American  dress. 
So  the  miissionary,  if  he  expects  to  stay  a  few  hours,  asks 
for  a  kimono,  a  Japanese  garment,  which  he  substitutes 
for  his  own  outer  clothing.  Even  so,  living  on  the  floor 
is  very  wearisome.  The  Japanese  who  become  accustom- 
med  to  squatting  on  the  floor  from  their  childhood, 
while  the  bones  are  still  soft,  can  endure  it  very  well. 
It  is  because  the  bones  of  their  legs  are  somewhat  bent, 
that  they  appear  to  be  bowlegged.     But  we  Americans 


170  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

with  our  straight  limbs  find  it  a  cross  to  sit  on  the  floor. 
When  there  are  no  callers  present  before  whom  it  is  nec- 
essary to  maintain  a  respectful  attitude,  one  may  try 
sitting  tailorwise,  or  lean  to  one  side,  resting  the  weight 
of  the  body  on  the  hand  or  on  the  elbow,  but  no  matter 
how  one  wriggles,  no  position  is  comfortable  for  more 
than  five  minutes,  and  after  two  hours  all  positions  alike 
are  intolerable,  and  for  a  diversion  one  goes  out  for  a  walk. 

A  Primitive  Lavatory.  The  sanitary  arrangements 
are  of  the  most  primitive  description.  Such  conveniences 
as  are  available  are  kept  in  the  middle  of  the  house,  so 
as  to  be  very  convenient,  and  the  odors  are  at  times 
insuflferable.  There  is  one  lavatory.  The  missionary 
empties  out  of  a  brass  basin  the  dirty  water  left  by  the 
one  who  washed  before  him  and  cleans  and  disinfects  it 
as  he  can.  If  he  is  on  a  long  journey  and  needs  a  bath, 
he  takes  pains  to  arrive  at  the  hotel  early  in  the  after- 
noon, before  the  water  in  the  big  bath  has  been  used  by 
anyone  else.  Since  the  bathroom  is  usually  open  and 
visible  to  the  whole  house,  he  often  has  to  ask  for  a  screen, 
to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  attendants  at  the  hotel, 
who  quite  fail  to  see  the  point,  and  wonder  what  great 
deformity  of  body  may  be  hidden  by  his  clothes,  to  make 
him  so  sensitive  about  being  seen.  Sometimes  the 
American  is  refused  entertainment  at  a  hotel,  probably 
because  there  has  been  a  previous  visitation  of  some 
foreigners  who,  not  knowing  the  language  and  the  ways 
of  the  people,  had  made  themselves  disagreeable. 

Diet  of  Rice.  When  meal-time  comes,  one  of  the 
maids  of  the  hotel  brings  a  tray  a  little  over  one  foot 
square,  containing  a  few  dishes  of  soup,  fish,  vegetables, 
etc.,  and  an  empty  bowl  for  the  rice,  which  she  fills  as 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  171 

needed  from  a  covered  wooden  tub,  which  she  carries 
about  from  one  room  to  another.  Some  Americans  are 
very  fond  of  the  native  food,  though  beginners  sometimes 
find  it  impossible  to  eat.  The  diet  is  quite  sufficient,  pro- 
vided one  takes  a  great  deal  of  exercise.  But  the  words 
of  the  Master,  that  the  missionary  should  eat  such  things 
as  are  set  before  him,  need  to  be  observed.  If  one  picks 
and  chooses  from  a  Japanese  meal  the  dishes  that  appeal 
to  him,  the  result  is  likely  to  be  indigestion.  It  is  best 
to  eat  with  the  rice  the  pickles  and  the  relishes  and  the 
soups  that  are  served  with  it;  for  in  the  evolution  of  the 
Japanese  diet  it  has  been  learned  that  they  are  essential 
to  the  digestion  of  the  staple  food. 

An  Uncomfortable  Night.  After  the  meetings  are 
over,  the  tired  missionary  comes  back  to  the  hotel,  be- 
fore or  after  midnight,  to  get  a  little  rest.  A  servant 
brings  out  of  a  closet  at  the  side  of  the  room  a  thick, 
cotton  comforter  for  the  bed  and  another  for  the  cover. 
A  bag  of  beans  about  the  diameter  of  a  stove-pipe  is  the 
pillow.  As  the  length  of  the  comforters  is  only  a  little 
over  five  feet  and  the  missionary  much  over  five  feet  in 
length,  the  comforter  is  too  short  at  one  end.  The  senior 
missionary  at  Yamagata  thus  describes  his  experience  in 
a  hotel  one  night  in  February:  "Last  night  when  I  got 
ready  for  bed,  I  put  on  the  following, — two  suits  of  woolen 
underwear,  one  pair  of  woolen  socks,  one  sweater,  two 
lined  kimonos^  two  unlined  kimonos^  and  then  covered 
with  two  heavy  comforters,  which  kept  me  comfortable 
about  two-thirds  of  the  way  up.  But  at  midnight,  I 
had  to  get  out  of  bed  and  add  my  heavy  overcoat  for 
cover.  Do  you  wonder  that  I  dreamed  of  carrying  fag- 
gots over  a  mountain-pass  all  night  and  woke  up  with 


172  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

that  tired  feeling  characteristic  of  spring  in  Yamagata 
Prefecture?"  To  sleep  in  a  Japanese  hotel  between 
comforters  that  have  been  used  for  a  long  time  in  an 
unheated  room  and  are  therefore  damp,  while  the  wind 
has  access  to  the  room  from  above  and  below  and  from 
all  four  quarters,  taxes  the  stoutest  physique. 

A  Noisy  Night.  Between  the  missionary  stopping 
at  the  hotel  and  the  guest  in  the  next  room,  the  only 
partition  consists  of  sliding  doors  made  of  a  few  sheets 
of  paper.  Often  the  guest  is  in  a  convivial  mood  and 
makes  the  night  hideous,  calling  in  geisha  girls  to  sing 
with  him  and  pour  out  liquor  for  him  until  he  is  thorough- 
ly drunk. 

A  Missionary's  Day  at  Home.  To  show  what  the 
life  of  missionaries  is  like,  we  add  a  few  stray  leaves  from 
their  diaries.  The  following  is  the  record  of  a  typical 
day  at  home  in  February,  by  the  senior  missionary  at 
Sendai:  "Got  up  at  7:00.  Breakfasted  at  7:30.  Evan- 
gelist S.  called  before  I  was  through  to  arrange  for  a  meet- 
ing at  W.  Then  N.  (helper)  arrived  and  we  attended  to 
letters  and  reports.  Lunched  at  12:30  and  after  a  short 
rest  prepared  to  meet  the  Normal  Students'  Bible  Class 
at  3:30  in  our  dining-room.  The  lesson  was  'Man's  Duty 
to  God,*  based  on  the  Parable  of  the  Talents,  Matt.  25: 
14—30.  There  are  twelve  in  the  class,  of  whom  nine 
will  soon  graduate  and  become  teachers.  Took  a  short 
walk  for  exercise.  Supper  at  6:30.  Went  with  wife 
to  the  Prayer  Meeting  of  the  American  Community  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  R." 

A  Teacher's  Busy  Day.  This  from  the  diary  of  a 
lady  teacher:  "Wednesday.  Rose  at  5:30.  6:00  to  6:30, 
Morning  Watch.     Breakfasted,  walked  to  school.     7:3a- 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  173 

8:15,  Students'  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Prayer  Meeting,  followed  by 
Chapel  Prayers.  8:20-11:30,  taught  classes,  two  in 
Middle  School  and  two  in  Literary  Course;  subjects  in 
the  latter,  discussion  of  Shakespeare's  stories,  drill  in 
practical  English,  translation  from  Japanese.  Spent 
half  hour  in  study  of  Japanese  and  ten  minutes  on  the 
newspaper.  Home  to  dinner  by  jinriksha.  2:00—3:00, 
wrote  to  one  of  our  graduates,  who  is  now  in  Korea. 
3:00-3:30,  attended  to  business  and  gave  German 
lesson  to  R.  and  P.  3:30-4:30,  entertained  a  caller,  a 
Normal  School  student,  who  comes  Fridays  to  the  class 
in  English  Bible.  4:30-5:00,  studied  Japanese.  Spent 
a  half-hour  in  writing.  Went  to  Mission  Prayer  Meeting 
at  house  of  Dr.  S.  9:00,  called  on  a  friend.  Home  by 
jinriksha.     Read  half  hour.     10:15,  retired." 

A  Day  in  the  Open.  Here  is  an  extract  from  the  log 
of  the  senior  missionary  at  Wakamatsu:  "Kurosawa, 
Oct.  4,  Cloudy.  Our  host,  Mr.  S.,  asked  us  to  have  a 
meeting  for  the  family.  Spoke  on  the  'Use  of  the  Tongue,' 
James  3:2.  Mr.  S.  ferried  T.  (helper)  and  me  over  the 
river  and  went  along  to  Shimizuya  (Pure  Water  Hotel) 
at  Tadami.  After  dinner  T.  gathered  a  nice  little  audience 
— our  first  meeting  at  Tadami,  spoke  on  'Prayer.'  The 
principal  of  the  public  school  asked  me  to  address  his 
children;  spoke  to  them  on  'Painful  Things,'  (Romans  8: 
28).  Hurried  by  bicycle  ten  miles,  so  as  to  reach  Yokota 
by  dusk,  stopped  at  house  of  Mr.  H.  Spoke  to  the 
children  about  God  and  left  the  older  ones  to  T." 

At  Home  on  Sunday.  The  missionary's  wife  on  a 
Sunday  afternoon  writes:  "At  church,  the  girls  of  the 
Ojokwai  (King's  Daughters)  sang  in  Japanese,  'There 
comes  to  my  heart  one  sweet  strain,'  A.  and  Miss  Y.  sing- 


174  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

ing  alto.  Mynheer  and  I  sang  in  English,  *Tho*  your 
sins  be  as  scarlet.'  Mynheer  brought  a  guest  home  for 
dinner,  a  Mr.  H.  from  Takada.  He  is  now  walking  to 
his  home,  a  three  hours'  walk,  to  put  his  children  to  bed. 
His  wife  died  last  spring  and  he  has  four  children,  one  of 
whom  is  only  two  or  three  years  old.  Mynheer  says  he 
is  an  unusually  bright  farmer.  He  told  how  he  used  to 
hate  hymns,  especially  the  one,  'Return,  ye  wanderers, 
return,'  but  has  been  converted.  A  little  beggar  came, 
claiming  that  his  mother  was  ill  and  he  her  only  support. 
Our  servants  investigated  and  found  that  he  told  the 
truth;  so  we  are  going  to  help  the  family  as  we  can. 
Since  dinner  I  have  been  reading  Whittier's  'Songs  of 
Labor'  to  the  older  children  and  making  paper  mats 
with  the  babies.     They  were  dear  and  responsive." 

Team  Work.  Let  us  now  consider  the  organization  of 
the  missionary  forces.  Missionary  management  is  in 
one  sense  socialistic.  That  is,  as  we  have  seen,  the  worker 
is  paid  according  to  his  needs,  not  according  to  the  value 
of  his  services.  The  oldest  and  most  efficient  often  has 
less  income  than  one  who  is  younger  and  less  useful. 
Such  an  arrangement  works  satisfactorily  only  when  the 
Board  in  America  secures  workers  of  the  highest  moral 
character.  Missionary  management  is  also  democratic, 
so  democratic,  indeed,  that  it  may  break  down  unless  all 
the  workers  are  thoroughly  devoted  and  fit  for  team  work. 

The  "Mission."  The  missionaries  form  an  organiza- 
tion called  the  Mission.  In  America,  the  word  "mission" 
suggests  a  weak  little  church,  but  a  Mission  in  Japan  is 
a  large  and  very  complicated  organization.  The  Tohoku 
Mission  has  two  regular  meetings  in  a  year,  one  in  Jan- 
uary to  act  on  the  financial  reports  for  the  previous  year 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  175 

and  elect  officers  and  committees;  another,  five  or  six 
months  later,  to  hear  and  pass  upon  reports  of  the  work 
to  be  submitted  to  the  Board  in  America  and  to  adopt 
a  budget  for  the  following  year.  The  Mission  has  a  con- 
stitution and  by-laws  and  regulations,  which  are  printed 
in  what  is  called  the  "Manual."  All  missionaries  regu- 
larly appointed  by  the  Board  to  Japan  are  entitled  to 
vote.  Wives  of  missionaries  and  persons  under  special 
contract  to  serve  the  Mission  for  short  terms,  may  take 
part  in  discussions  having  to  do  with  their  own  special 
work,  but  have  no  vote. 

Treasury  and  Property.  There  is  a  central  office 
in  the  City  of  Sendai,  located  in  the  midst  of  the  grounds 
of  Miyagi  Girls'  School  and  North  Japan  College.  One 
of  the  missionaries.  Rev.  E.  H.  Guinther,  gives  the  larger 
part  of  his  time  to  the  care  of  the  treasury  and  the  prop- 
erty of  the  Mission.  While  Americans  as  individuals  are 
not  allowed  to  hold  real  estate  in  Japan,  the  government 
allows  such  an  organization  as  the  Mission  to  hold  prop- 
erty for  religious  purposes.  Certain  members  of  the 
Mission  are  organized  as  a  Corporation  which  holds  the 
titles  and  must  submit  to  the  Japanese  Government 
regular  reports  of  its  transactions.  This  property  con- 
sists of  land  and  buildings,  of  chapels,  missionary  resi- 
dences, the  grounds  and  buildings  of  Miyagi  Girls*  School, 
and  some  of  the  property  of  North  Japan  College  which 
was  purchased  with  funds  contributed  by  the  Church 
in  America.  The  original  property  of  the  College  is 
now  held  by  the  Corporation  of  the  Board  of  Directors, 
and  it  is  probable  that  ultimately  all  the  property  of  the 
College  will  be  held  by  that  corporation.  In  case  the 
property  should  be  no  longer  needed  for  religious  pur- 


176  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

poses  the  Constitution  of  the  Corporation  provides  that 
it  may  be  sold  and  the  proceeds  returned  to  the  Board  in 
America.  The  Japanese  Government  has  had  reason  to 
fear  lest  the  missionaries  may  in  time  accumulate  great 
holdings;  therefore,  it  is  provided  that  property  is  to  be 
held  for  religious  purposes  only.  In  at  least  one  pre- 
fecture the  government  exempts  from  taxes  property 
of  the  Church.  These  facts  indicate  that  the  govern- 
ment is  disposed  to  be  fair  to  missionaries,  and  they  feel 
the  obligation  to  be  scrupulous  in  the  management  of 
the  property  entrusted  to  them. 

The  Bureau  of  Information.  Another  missionary 
has  just  been  appointed  to  serve  in  connection  with  the 
office,  Mr.  Isaac  J.  Fisher,  who  has  had  large  experience 
as  a  stenographer  and  secretary.  It  is  the  plan  of  the 
Board  and  the  Mission  that  he  shall  serve  as  a  secretary 
and  take  charge  in  a  general  way,  of  the  correspondence 
of  the  missionaries  with  one  another  and  with  the  home 
base.  The  educational  missionaries  are  located  at  Sen- 
dai,  but  as  the  number  assigned  to  church-work  in  the 
country  increases,  in  order  to  secure  proper  co-ordination, 
it  is  necessary  that  some  one  organize  a  clearing-house  of 
information.  Moreover,  one  of  the  deficiencies  of  the  work 
hitherto  has  been  lack  of  adequate  information  for  the 
supporters  at  home.  It  has  been  simply  impossible  for 
overworked  missionaries  to  attend  to  this  matter  proper- 
ly. It  is  hoped  that  when  the  stenographer  and  secre- 
tary gets  to  work,  this  defect  will  be  remedied. 

Boards  and  Committees.  The  representatives  of 
the  Mission  on  the  Corporation,  the  Board  of  Directors  of 
the  College  and  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Girls' 
School  are  not  elected  by  the  Mission,  but  are  chosen  from 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  177 

among  the  members  of  the  Mission  by  those  organiza- 
tions, which  are  self-perpetuating.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  members  who  represent  the  Mission  on  the  joint- 
committees  which  manage  the  evangelistic  work,  are 
elected  by  the  Mission.  There  are  various  other  com- 
mittees of  the  Mission  to  which  are  granted  certain  ap- 
propriations in  the  budget;  for  example,  the  Bible  Wo- 
men's Committee,  the  Kindergarten  Committee.  Other 
standing  committees  are  the  Finance  Committee,  the 
Building  Committee,  which  supervises  the  erection  of 
houses  and  chapels,  the  Language  Committee,  which 
oversees  the  studies  of  new  missionaries,  etc. 

The  Federated  Missions.  All  the  missions  working 
in  Japan,  except  those  of  the  so-called  Catholic  Churches, 
are  united  in  a  body  called  the  Federated  Missions,  which 
has  an  annual  meeting.  This  body  is,  of  course,  advisory 
only,  but  has  immense  influence  through  the  work  of  its 
committees  that  review  progress  made  along  evangelistic, 
educational,  social  and  other  lines,  and  make  recom- 
mendations which  enable  the  missions  to  standardize 
and  co-ordinate  the  work.  This  body  has  organized  the 
Christian  Literature  Society,  which  is  supported  by  con- 
tributions from  the  treasuries  of  the  various  missions, 
and  is  planning  for  the  establishment  of  a  Union  Chris- 
tian University.  To  the  splendid  work  of  this  organiza- 
tion, the  Tohoku  Mission  makes  its  contribution  through 
the  presence  and  work  of  three  delegates  and  a  small 
appropriation  for  the  current  expenses.  There  is  also 
a  Japanese  organization  composed  of  representatives  of 
the  various  Churches.  Again,  representatives  of  the 
Federation  of  Churches  and  the  Federated  Missions,  to- 
gether with  other  Christian  leaders  selected  by  these  rep- 


lyS  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

resentatives,  form  what  is  called  The  Continuation  Com- 
mittee for  the  Japanese  Empire,  which  is  in  correspond- 
ence with  the  universal  committee  formed  by  the  Edin" 
burgh  Conference  of  1910.  Members  of  the  Tohoku 
Mission  are  continually  asked  to  render  services  to  these 
comprehensive  organizations,  but  have  not  been  able  to 
do  their  full  share  on  account  of  the  pressure  of  their  own 
immediate  work. 

Assignment  of  Work.  The  Mission  has  power  to 
assign  work  and  to  determine  the  location  of  the  individual 
missionary.  When  a  missionary  breaks  down  it  is  nec- 
essary at  once  to  provide  for  his  work,  it  being  impossible 
to  secure  a  substitute  from  America  at  short  notice. 
The  Board  in  America  appoints  missionaries  to  the  field, 
but  does  not  definitely  assign  to  them  the  work  they  are 
to  do.  The  work  of  the  Mission  is  a  good  deal  like  war- 
fare and  the  discipline  is  almost  military.  The  spirit  of 
comradeship  is  delightful.  Naturally,  since  mission- 
aries are  high-spirited  people  and  very  conscientious, 
clashes  occur  now  and  then,  but  while  there  are  many 
differences  of  opinion,  the  minority  cheerfully  submit  to 
the  majority  and  all  go  in  for  strong  team-work. 

Classes  of  Missionaries.  The  workers  of  the  Toho- 
ku Mission  are  usually  divided  into  two  classes,  those 
engaged  in  the  educational  service  and  those  in  the  ev- 
angelistic. Two  of  the  men,  the  treasurer  and  the  secre- 
tary, might  be  put  into  a  third  class,  the  administrative. 

Distribution  of  Missionaries.  The  Mission  be- 
lieves that  the  interests  of  the  Church  in  the  North  re- 
quire wise  distribution  of  missionary  families,  and  some 
single  ladies,  over  the  field,  but  at  the  same  time,  is 
opposed  to  isolating  missionaries.     The  idea  is  to  select 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work         179 

strategic  points,  each  of  which  is  a  good  center  from 
which  to  work  among  a  population  of  300,000  people. 
In  determining  where  these  points  shall  be,  we  have  re- 
gard not  only  to  the  railways  and  other  means  of  com- 
munication that  radiate  from  them,  but  also  the  prestige 
and  influence  of  the  place  with  reference  to  lesser  towns, 
also  to  the  disposition  of  the  institutions  for  higher  edu- 
cation. It  is  wise  to  place  missionaries  where  they  can 
get  into  touch  with  students  of  middle  and  normal  schools. 
A  map  has  been  prepared  indicating  25  cities  and  towns 
where  it  would  be  wise  to  locate  small  groups  of  mission- 
aries to  reach  the  7,500,000  people  in  North  Japan.  At 
least  two  families,  and  one  or  two  single  ladies  for  special 
work  among  the  women  should  be  placed  in  each  of  these 
centers.  In  accordance  with  this  policy  a  family  and  a 
single  man  have  been  located  at  Yamagata  and  two  fam- 
ilies at  Wakamatsu. 

Isolation  Not  Good  Policy.  There  are  several  rea- 
sons for  the  opinion  that  missionaries  should  be  located  in 
small  groups.  One  is  the  need  of  providing  for  absences 
on  furlough  and  cases  of  disablement.  Another  is  the 
advisability  of  combining  in  the  employment  of  teachers 
of  the  language  and  other  helpers.  Another  is  the  great 
difference  between  the  work  of  the  missionary  who  itin- 
erates through  the  country  and  one  who  makes  it  his 
principal  aim  to  win  the  people  of  the  city  and  the  stu- 
dents who  sojourn  in  it.  These  two  forms  of  work  can- 
not be  combined  successfully.  One  who  works  mainly 
in  the  city  organizes  classes  and  must  be  at  his  post 
regularly.  This  he  cannot  do  if  he  is  to  be  free  to  under- 
take tours  and  visit  out-stations  at  convenient  times. 
Still   another  reason   for  grouping  missionaries  is   this. 


i8o  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

that  isolation  is  too  hard  on  them.  The  man  who  travels 
about  a  great  deal  may  not  be  oppressed  by  loneliness, 
but  the  wife  who  is  kept  at  home  nearly  all  the  time  may 
break  down  if  subjected  to  the  exacting  repuirements  of 
life  among  the  Japanese  and  be  separated  from  her  near- 
est American  neighbor  by  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  There 
are  comparatively  few  women  who,  with  all  their  conse- 
cration, and  best  intentions,  can  endure  such  isolation. 

The  Summer  Vacation.  As  in  the  war  in  France  it 
is  found  necessary  to  give  the  men  in  the  front  line  oc- 
casional vacations,  so  experience  has  taught  that  it  does 
not  pay  to  keep  the  missionary  uninterruptedly  at  his 
post.  The  missionary  has  sometimes  rebelled  against 
the  apparent  luxury  of  the  summer  outing.  But  if  he 
refuses  to  go  away  in  the  hot  season,  the  cause  gets  more 
harm  than  good.  Health  and  efficiency  cannot  be  main- 
tained without  a  change.  Not  only  is  the  climate  par- 
ticularly enervating  in  the  summer,  so  that  appetite  fails 
and  nothing  can  be  accomplished  in  spite  of  the  most 
intense  resolution,  but  there  is  also  a  mental  exhaustion 
which  can  be  remedied  best  by  a  period  of  association 
with  fellow-missionaries  at  a  suitable  resort. 

A  Retreat  in  the  Mountains.  Most  missionaries 
spend  from  five  to  seven  weeks  at  a  place  up  in  the  moun- 
tains between  Tokyo  and  Niigata,  called  Karuizawa. 
The  air  here  is  comparatively  bracing.  Mountain- 
climbing,  tennis  and  similar  sports,  tone  up  the  body, 
while  the  auditorium  is  occupied  day  after  day  by  large 
audiences  attending  conferences  and  hearing  lectures 
that  fit  the  missionary  for  better  service.  Many  an 
evening  is  given  to  music.  What  this  means  can  hardly 
be  imagined  by  the  American  who  has  not  lived  as  the 


The  American  Missionary  at  Work  i8i 

missionary  in  the  country  does,  where  outside  his  own 
family  he  hears  nothing  worthy  to  be  called  musical, 
from  September  to  July.  Karuizawa,  however,  has 
begun  to  attract  not  only  missionaries,  but  also  worldly 
people,  American,  European  and  Japanese.  The  worldly 
element  has  been  growing  so  fast  that  it  is  probable  that 
missionaries  who  prefer  the  mountains  will  in  the  near 
future  have  to  develop  a  resort  somewhere  else,  which 
they  can  control. 

A  Retreat  by  the  Sea.  Near  the  city  of  Sendai  is  a 
beautiful  summer  encampment  by  the  sea,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  peninsula  that  forms  the  southern  boundary  of 
the  Bay  of  Matsushima.  Members  of  the  Tohoku 
Mission  have  had  a  leading  part  in  the  management 
of  this  resort,  and  three  of  them  constitute  the  trustees. 
About  two  hundred  people,  Americans  and  Europeans, 
camp  here  in  the  summer,  in  rough  wooden  houses  that 
cost  from  |2oo  to  $600  each.  The  community  is  so 
controlled  that  the  non-Christian  element  is  practically 
excluded.  What  this  Takayama  Company  has  accom- 
plished in  the  way  of  refreshing  the  exhausted,  restoring 
the  sick,  and  lengthening  the  years  of  service  of  many 
missionaries  and  others,  can  hardly  be  overstated. 

Furloughs.  Experience  has  likewise  demonstrated 
the  absolute  necessity  of  sending  missionaries  home  on 
furlough  after  about  seven  years  of  service  on  the  field. 
Furloughs  are  expensive  to  the  boards  and  to  the  mis- 
sionaries concerned,  but  unless  they  are  taken,  the  mis- 
sionaries inevitably  become  stale.  The  primary  purpose 
is  to  restore  the  workers  physically  and  spiritually,  but, 
on  the  side,  the  opportunity  is  improved  to  keep  the 
churches  at  the  home  base  in  vital  personal  touch  with 
those  who  know  conditions  at  the  front. 


1 82  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

All  the  Expense  Justified.  It  is  evident  that  the 
maintenance  of  American  workers  in  Japan  is  a  very  ex- 
pensive proposition.  To  the  missionary  who  sympathizes 
with  the  people  among  whom  he  works,  it  is  a  cause  of  no 
little  distress  of  mind  that  his  own  living  must  cost  so 
much  as  compared  with  theirs.  He  often  feels  that  the 
difference  in  standards  is  a  barrier  between  him  and  those 
to  whom  he  would  minister.  But  it  is  equally  true  that 
by  maintaining  the  American  standard,  he  is  rendering 
a  real  service  to  the  people.  Difficult  as  it  is  to  keep  on 
such  a  field,  a  missionary  family,  as  compared  with  a 
celibate  Roman  Catholic  priest,  the  boards  of  foreign 
missions  are  convinced  that  a  Christian  home  of  the 
American  type  is  an  evangelizing  force  of  incalculable 
value,  and  is  worth  all  it  costs. 


Training  Christian  Leaders 


VI. 
TRAINING  CHRISTIAN  LEADERS 

Introduction:  Need  of  Christian  Schools  in  Tohoku: 
I.  Lasting  Success  After  a  Long  Process. 
1.  Intelligent  Native  Leadership  Essential. 

3.  Fundamental  Importance  of  Christian  Education. 

4.  Leaders  for  Tohoku  Best  Trained  in  Tohoku. 

A.  North  Japan  College  (Tohoku  Gakuin): 

1.  History:  Work  of  the  Founders,  Oshikawa  and  Hoy,  Evolu- 
tion of  the  School,  Opposition  of  Government  Overcome, 
Success  of  Middle  School,  Progress  of  the  College  Proper. 

1.  Object  of  the  Institution. 

3.  Property,  Faculty,  Budget. 

4.  Student     Body:  Accessions,     Withdrawals,     Financial     Aid, 

Industrial   Home,   Scholarships,   Dormitories,  Oversight, 
Expenses. 

5.  Curriculum:  School  Year,  Religious  Instruction. 

6.  Student  Life:  Religious,  Literary  and  Athletic  Interests. 

7.  Alumni:  Clergymen  and  Others. 

8.  Prestige  of  the  College  and  of  its  President,  Leadership  in 

Problems  of  Higher  Christian  Education. 

B.  MiYAGi  Girls*  School  (Miyagi  Jogakko): 

I.  History:  Beginnings,  Fire  and  Rebuilding  in  1902,  Now  One 

of  Many  Girls'  Schools. 
1.  Object  of  the  School,  Relation  to  the  Christian  Home. 

3.  Management,  Departments,  Expansion,  Teachers,  Finances. 

4.  Student    Body:  Sources,    Democratic    Spirit,    Proportion    of 

Christians,  Supported  Students. 

5.  Curriculum:  High     School     Course,     Religious     Instruction, 

Recitations,  Higher  Department  Courses. 

6.  Student  Life:  Class  Organization,  Dormitory,  Saturday  and 

Sunday,  Athletic,  Literary,  and  Religious  Interests. 

7.  Alumnae,  Married  and  Single,  Scattered  Groups. 

C.  By-Products: 

1.  Influence  of  Schools  upon  Society,  Illustrations. 

2.  Influence  upon  Students  of  Other  Schools,  Hostels,  Japan's 

Oldest  Students*  Association. 


VI. 
TRAINING  CHRISTIAN  LEADERS 

The  Quickest  Way  Not  the  Best.  It  is  said  that 
the  German  settlers  in  Pennsylvania  chose  the  land  where 
the  woods  were  thick,  while  other  immigrants  chose  the 
open  meadows.  The  heavy  timber  was  not  easy  to  clear, 
but  the  colonists  reasoned  that  where  the  trees  were 
flourishing  the  soil  must  be  rich.  So  in  missionary  work 
the  line  of  least  resistance  is  not  always  best.  The  fields 
in  Japan  that  are  worth  while  will  yield  great  harvests 
only  after  long  preparation  and  cultivation. 

Educational  Work  Needed.  One  can  hardly  ex- 
aggerate the  difficulties  that  stand  in  the  way  of  those 
who  would  christianize  the  Japanese.  Their  fundamental 
ideas  have  to  be  reconstructed;  even  their  language 
must  be  regenerated.  Wise  missionaries  soon  perceive 
the  need  of  educating  the  young,  for  it  requires  patient 
and  thorough  work  really  to  christianize  the  life  and 
thought  of  a  people  that  have  behind  them  such  a  history 
and  such  traditional  ideas  and  habits  as  the  Japanese 
have.  One  of  our  teachers  in  North  Japan  College  has 
said  that  in  order  to  become  thoroughly  Christian  a  Ja- 
panese must  master  the  English,  or  a  similar  language. 
This  may  be  an  extreme  opinion.  But  one  who  is  to  be 
a  Christian  leader  should  at  least  be  trained  in  a  Chris- 
tian school  and  made  conversant  with  the  literature  of 
some    Christian    land.     Such    an    education    requires    a 

185 


1 86  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan  ' 

course  of  not  less  than  ten  years,  in  addition  to  the  six 
years  in  the  common  school. 
/      Not  a  Side  Issue.     The  distinction  is  made  between 
"educational"  and  "evangelistic"  work.     But  in  Japan      ' 
education    is   intensive   evangelism,   and   evangelism   is      < 
extensive  education. 

Training  in  America.     It  is  sometimes  asked  whether 
a  young  man  might  not  be  trained  to  better  advantage 
in  an  American  school  than  in  a  missionary  institution  on      j 
the  field.     In  exceptional  cases  this  plan  has  worked  well. 
But  there  are  three  great  objections  to  it.    Most  Japan- 
ese boys  who  come  to  our  country  at  an  age  so  young 
that  their  characters  are  not  yet  formed,  and  are  thrown 
among  ordinary  American  students,  are  spoiled,  for  our 
people  have  a  subtle  way  of  robbing  such  a  boy  of  his  self-      j 
respect.     Further,  at  so  young  an  age  no  one,  least  of 
all  the  boy  himself,  can  tell  whether  he  will  later  develop 
fitness  for  special  Christian  service.      Finally,  a  boy  who 
grows  up  in  America  is  apt  to  become  so  American  in  all 
his  ways   that  when  he  goes  home  he  cannot  get  along  ^  '^ 
happily  in  his  own  country  and  among  his  own  people.   ♦  ' 
We  of  the  Tohoku  Mission  heartily  approve  of  sending 
to    America    for    postgraduate    study    and    observation      ; 
tried  Japanese  leaders — the  more  the  better.  ' 

Training  in  Tokyo.  Again  it  is  asked  why  a  separ-  • 
ate  school  should  be  maintained  in  Tohoku.  Why  not  ; 
send  our  boys  to  one  of  the  institutions  in  Tokyo?  The  : 
authorities  of  the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai  often  express  \ 
a  desire  that  the  students  of  theology  at  least  be  sent  to  ' 
Tokyo.  Our  reply  is  that  experience  has  taught  us  that 
if  we  want  to  christianize  North  Japan,  we  must  train 
northern  boys  in  a  northern  school.     Workers  from  the      j 


Training  Christian  Leaders  187 

South  are  apt  to  complain  of  the  climate  and  the  temper 
of  the  people  and  leave  the  North  after  a  brief  stay.  And 
when  a  northern  boy  is  educated  in  the  South  he  also  is 
apt  to  prefer  his  southern  associations. 

Our  Educational  Institutions  at  Sendai.  This 
chapter  will  be  devoted  mainly  to  a  description  of  the 
work  of  the  two  schools  connected  with  the  Tohoku 
Mission,  the  North  Japan  College  (Tohoku  Gakuin)  and 
its  twin  sister,  the  Miyagi  Girls'  School  (Jogakko). 

North  Japan  College.  When  Mr.  Oshikawa  urged 
Mr.  Hoy  to  come  to  his  assistance  at  Sendai,  it  was  his 
wish  to  do  for  the  young  men  of  the  North  such  work 
as  had  been  done  for  himself  by  Dr.  S.  R.  Brown  of  Yo- 
kohama. These  two  men,  Oshikawa  and  Hoy,  became 
the  founders  of  a  school  which  from  its  humble  beginnings 
in  1886  grew  in  efficiency  and  influence,  overcame  im- 
mense difficulties,  and  has  become  today  one  of  the  best 
institutions  of  learning  in  the  Orient. 

Early  Hardships  of  the  School.  The  school  was 
originally  a  little  theological  seminary,  opened  with  seven 
students  in  a  thatch-roofed  house  in  the  northern  part 
of  Sendai,  where  the  Tohoku  University  Hospital  now 
stands.  When  Dr.  and  Mrs.  J.  I.  Swander  bought  for  the 
Girls*  School  a  commodious  lot  on  Sambancho  (Third 
Street),  an  old  house  standing  on  the  corner  was  used  for 
awhile.  Then  when  the  church  bought  the  old  Hon- 
gwanji  Temple  the  school  was  removed  to  the  priests' 
rooms  in  the  rear  of  that  building.  In  1888  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Hoy  purchased  an  acre  of  ground  adjoining  that  of  the 
church  and  built  a  small  dormitory  upon  it  in  memory 
of  Rev.  John  Ault,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Hoy.  In  1890  the 
Theological  Building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  9,000  yen 


1 88  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

at  a  time  when  the  yen  was  worth  about  eighty-five 
cents. 

Organization  of  Tohoku  Gakuin.  According  to 
the  constitution  adopted  in  1889,  the  institution  was 
under  the  control  of  Miyagi  Classis,  but  later  the  con- 
stitution of  the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai  made  it  impos- 
sible for  a  Classis  to  have  an  educational  institution. 
In  1892  a  new  organization  was  effected,  according  to 
which  the  Board  of  Directors  is  self-perpetuating  and 
consists  of  an  equal  number  of  representatives  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States  and  Japanese 
Christians.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  the  school  was 
opened  to  all  who  wished  to  enter,  whether  looking  for- 
ward to  the  ministry  or  not.  It  was  felt  that  within 
reasonable  limits  it  would  be  better  for  candidates  for 
the  ministry  to  be  educated  in  large  classes  than  in 
small.  The  number  of  students  immediately  increased 
to  150,  of  whom  17  were  in  the  theological  courses.  At 
first  the  organization  was  like  that  of  an  American  in- 
stitution, with  Academy  (three  years).  College  (four 
years),  and  Seminary  (three  years).  But  in  1895,  the 
division  was  made  to  conform  to  the  system  of  the  Ja- 
panese government — a  Middle  School  (five  years).  Lit- 
erary Course  (two  years),  and  Theological  Course  (three 
years). 

Winning  in  the  Face  of  Opposition.  Later  the 
institution  had  to  pass  through  severe  trials.  The  two 
founders,  Messrs.  Hoy  and  Oshikawa,  resigned.  The 
great  majority  of  the  students  remained  only  a  short 
time  and  almost  none  graduated.  There  were  two 
reasons  for  this.  One  was  that  students  in  a  school 
recognized  by  the  government  were  free  from  military 


Training  Christian  Leaders  189 

conscription  so  long  as  they  continued  their  studies,  and, 
therefore,  most  of  the  students  of  our  school,  which  had 
not  government  recognition,  were  men  who  on  account  of 
some  defect  of  body  were  not  liable  to  conscription. 
Another  was  that  only  schools  recognized  by  the  govern- 
ment had  the  privilege  of  sending  graduates  up  to  higher 
schools,  and  the  result  was  that  our  students  sought  to 
be  transferred  to  some  regular  school  before  graduation. 
But  in  1902  the  privileges  of  exemption  from  conscrip- 
tion and  of  admission  of  students  into  higher  schools  were 
granted,  and  from  that  time  on  the  attendance  showed 
an  almost  continuous  rise  from  year  to  year. 

Development  of  the  Middle  School.  In  1904, 
about  three  acres,  later  increased  to  five,  were  purchased 
on  Nibancho  (Second  Street),  two  blocks  distant  from  the 
theological  department.  On  this  ground  a  building  for 
the  exclusive  use  of  the  Middle  School  was  erected,  also 
a  dormitory.  The  Middle  School  is  fundamental  in  a 
scheme  of  Christian  education.  The  students,  who  are 
boys  between  the  ages  of  thirteen  and  eighteen,  on  the 
average,  are  at  the  period  of  adolescence  and  most  sus- 
ceptible to  the  influences  that  give  final  shape  to  char- 
acter. The  great  majority  of  our  students  have  hither- 
to been  in  the  Middle  School  Department. 

Development  of  the  College  Proper.  But  an  ade- 
quate theological  seminary  must  be  of  college  or  univer- 
sity grade.  Candidates  for  the  ministry,  as  in  America, 
should  have  more  education  than  a  Sophomore.  They 
need  a  better  knowledge  of  the  English  language  than 
graduates  of  a  middle  school  have  and  they  need  to  be 
drilled  in  philosophy.  From  the  point  of  view  of  those 
interested  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  it  is  very  import- 


190  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

ant  that  the  College  proper  should  be  developed.  Quite 
recently,  through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Schneder,  who  has 
been  president  of  the  institution  since  the  resignation  of 
Mr.  Oshikawa,  with  the  assistance  of  Mrs.  Schneder, 
the  sum  of  $50,000  has  been  secured  for  the  College. 
A  third  site  on  Rokkencho  (Six  Houses  Street)  has  been 
bought.  The  College,  which  has  hitherto  been  housed 
in  a  wretched  old  wooden  building  behind  the  Theological 
Seminary,  will  soon  have  a  home  of  its  own  and  a  chance 
to  develop  as  the  Middle  School  has. 

A  Greater  College  to  Be.  While  the  leading  motive 
of  those  who  pray,  toil  and  give  for  this  school  has  been 
the  desire  to  train  an  intelligent  Christian  ministry  for 
Tohoku,  it  is  a  part  of  the  project  to  send  into  Japanese 
society  a  strong  Christian  laity.  As  the  College  grows 
there  will  be  woven  into  the  plan,  along  with  the  courses 
preparatory  to  the  Theological  Seminary  and  to  the 
Union  Christian  University  that  is  to  be,  also  courses 
preparing  students  for  authorship,  for  teaching,  for  civic 
service,  for  business,  etc.  A  great  deal  has  already  been 
accomplished  along  these  lines  through  students  going 
up  to  higher  institutions  run  by  the  government.  In 
the  words  of  President  Schneder,  "the  graduates  of  the 
Middle  School  have  an  impress  upon  them  that  lasts,** 
but  **are,  as  a  rule  too  immature  in  their  Christianity  to 
make  strong  Christian  leaders."  Hence  every  effort  is 
being  put  forth  to  make  the  institution  attractive  to 
graduates  of  the  Middle  School. 

Aim  of  Tohoku  Gakuin.  The  aim  is  to  make  the 
school  eminently  efficient.  The  best  possible  up-to- 
date  teaching  on  the  part  of  the  instructors  and  real  study 
on  the  part  of  the  students  is  the  ideal.     Also  discipline 


President    Schneder 


Mr.  Yoshida-Tatsuo, 
Merchant 


Secretary  Komatsu  of  Rev.  Taguchi, 

National  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Lieutenant  of  Artillery 

Typical  Alumni  of  North  Japan  College 


Training  Christian  Leaders  191 

of  the  highest  order  is  aimed  at,  this  to  be  accomplished 
by  the  enforcement  of  certain  definite  regulations,  to- 
gether with  a  constant  effort  to  instil  the  spirit  of  self- 
discipline.  High  ideals  of  honor,  integrity  and  purity 
are  made  the  standard  in  speaking  to  and  dealing  with 
the  students.  Spiritually  the  aim  is  to  instruct  and  in- 
fluence the  students  with  such  earnestness  as  will  lead 
them  to  free  and  independent  personal  conviction;  it 
is  not  to  make  a  religious  hotbed.  The  hope  is  to  chris- 
tianize the  old  Japanese  virtues  and  to  crown  them  with 
the  spirit  of  deep  faith  in  God  and  loyalty  to  Christ, 
then  to  make  all  this  glow  with  zeal  for  others,  for  a  re- 
generated Japan  and  a  redeemed  world.  Further,  the 
hope  is  to  induce  many  of  the  graduates  to  remain  in 
Tohoku  and  become  men  of  influence  and  leadership  in 
their  respective  communities.  With  this  in  view  it  is 
planned  in  the  enlarged  curriculum  to  have  a  course  on 
the  economic  and  social  conditions  of  Tohoku,  and 
thereby  develop,  if  possible,  a  special  sense  of  responsibil- 
ity to  make  Tohoku  indeed  "The  Scotland  of  Japan." 

Equipment.  The  principal  buildings  are  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  of  brick,  with  a  frame  dormitory  at- 
tached, and  a  very  large  and  substantial  earthquake 
proof  Middle  School  Recitation  Hall,  also  of  brick,  with 
a  frame  dormitory  attached.  Every  bit  of  space  is  utiliz- 
ed, even  to  the  garrets.  There  are  laboratories,  libraries, 
collections,  maps,  charts,  models,  etc.,  but  the  libraries 
and  laboratories  are  not  yet  adequate.  When  the  build- 
ings for  the  College  shall  have  been  completed  the  total 
valuation  will  be  about  $150,000. 

Finance.     Not  including  the  cost  of  the  services  of 
the  American  missionaries,  the  budget  of  the  institution 


192  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

amounts  to  nearly  $20,000  a  year.  The  Board  grants  ] 
Ji  1,300  for  current  expenses  (which  is  about  the  amount 
of  the  salaries  of  the  Japanese  professors),  1 1,200  for  ^ 
beneficiary  aid  and  $500  for  the  Industrial  Home.  The  , 
remainder  of  the  income  is  derived  from  students'  fees,  j 
The  tuition  hitherto  charged  has  been  $1  per  month  for  ; 
II  months  in  the  Middle  School.  None  are  excused  j 
from  paying  this  amount  excepting  the  sons  of  ministers  j 
of  the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai.  In  1917  the  tuition  ! 
was  raised  to  |i.i2^  a  month,  plus  12^  cents  a  month  1 
for  athletics.  It  is,  naturally,  not  the  Middle  School,  ; 
but  the  College  that  involves  the  heavier  expense,  re- 
quiring a  large  subsidy.  ! 

Faculty.  The  teachers  number  40.  Of  these  7  are  ; 
missionaries  and  32  are  Japanese,  of  whom  9  are  alumni  i 
of  the  school.  All  of  the  Japanese  teachers  except  seven  ; 
are  Christians.  The  teaching  staff  is  more  efficient  than  ; 
ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  school.  The  older  men  | 
have  improved  by  experience  and  the  younger  men  are  of  j 
superior  training.  Four,  two  missionaries  and  two  Ja-  i 
panese,  hold  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy,  repre-  i 
senting  Bonn,  Harvard,  Johns  Hopkins  and  Chicago  j 
Universities.  The  close  proximity  of  North  Japan  ] 
College  to  the  Tohoku  Imperial  University  is  a  stimulus. 
Trips  are  made  in  the  summer  for  research,  and  summer  , 
institutes  and  conferences  are  attended  by  the  teachers.        | 

Activities  of  Professors.  Dr.  Sasao  is  known  as  | 
one  of  the  ablest  evangelistic  campaign  workers  in  the  ; 
country  and  he  is  active  among  the  students  of  the  gov-  ! 
ernment  schools,  many  of  whom  he  has  led  to  Christ,  i 
Dr.  Demura  teaches  a  Bible  class  of  University  students.  1 
Professor   Kajiwara,   in   addition   to   a  vast   amount  of  j 


Training  Christian  Leaders  193 

work  in  touring  through  the  evangelistic  field  and  cor- 
responding with  pastors  and  other  leading  Christians, 
also  does  a  wide  work  through  his  position  as  moral-lec- 
turer to  the  Sendai  Post-Office  and  the  Post-Office  School. 
Dr.  Seiple  does  much  committee  work  for  the  Mission 
and  teaches  two  students'  Bible  classes,  one  of  them 
consisting  entirely  of  Chinese  students.  A  noted  botanist, 
named  Professor  lishiba,  is  on  the  faculty  of  the  Middle 
School.  He  is  a  specialist  on  mosses  and  has  written  a 
book  on  the  subject.  Mr.  Gerhard  is  known  throughout 
Japan  as  a  leader  in  the  teaching  of  English.  Time  does 
not  allow  us  to  dwell  upon  the  Christian  and  literary 
activities  of  all  the  professors.  There  is  a  more  intimate 
personal  relation  between  teachers  and  students  than  is 
the  case  in  government  schools. 

Students.  The  students  that  enter  are  largely  from 
the  middle  class  of  society.  About  27  per  cent,  of  them 
belong  to  Samurai  families;  the  rest  are  commoners. 
Young  men  come  because  they  are  Christians,  or  because 
their  parents  are  Christians,  or  because  friends  advised 
them  to  come.  The  reputation  of  the  school  for  doing 
good  work,  a  large  proportion  of  its  students  succeeding 
in  the  entrance  examinations  to  higher  schools,  its  repu- 
tation for  superior  English  teaching,  and  its  moral  in- 
fluence over  the  students,  are  all  attractions.  Many 
of  the  good  students  that  come  to  the  school  are  sent  by 
missionaries  and  evangelists.  Arrangements  are  made 
by  which  entrance  examinations  are  conducted  by  pas- 
tors at  principal  points  in  North  Japan.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  school-year  of  1 917- 18  there  were  238  appli- 
cants for  the  First  Year  Class  of  the  Middle  School,  but 
only  108  of  them  could  be  admitted.    The  year  began 


194  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

with  an  enrollment  of  498  in  the  Middle  School,  48  in  the 
Literary  Course  and  15  in  the  Theological  Course,  a 
total  of  561. 

Steady  Increase.  Rise  in  public  confidence  is  indi- 
cated by  the  fact  that  the  number  of  applicants  is  more 
than  double  the  number  that  can  be  admitted.  Form- 
erly the  College  had  to  depend  largely  on  the  applicants 
who  had  been  refused  admission  into  schools  that  were 
regarded  as  preferable.  Tohoku  Gakuin,  in  order  of 
preference,  has  not  only  passed  other  private  institutions, 
but  has  also  outstripped  the  Second  Middle  School  of 
Sendai,  which  is  supported  by  the  government,  and  now 
stands  second  only  to  the  First  Middle  School.  The 
student-body  is  steadier.  In  former  years  few  remained 
to  graduate.  Now,  however,  dropping  out  is  almost  as 
rare  as  in  government  schools.  The  main  reasons  for 
dropping  out  are  sickness,  poverty,  removal,  and  moral 
failure. 

Financial  Difficulties  of  Christian  Students.  In 
considering  the  work  of  this  institution  we  need  to  re- 
member that  a  Japanese  young  man  is  bound  to  obey 
his  relatives  in  choosing  how  he  shall  be  educated  and 
what  his  vocation  shall  be.  Relatives  are  usually  ready 
to  make  great  sacrifices  in  behalf  of  a  promising  young 
man  who  enters  upon  a  course  of  education  that  will 
lead  to  his  occupying  a  prominent  position  or  one  af- 
fording a  large  salary.  But  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
find  relatives  who  are  willing  to  pay  for  the  education 
of  a  young  man  who  purposes  to  do  altruistic  work. 

Industrial  Home.  For  this  reason  Mr.  Oshikawa 
early  in  the  history  of  the  institution  founded  the  In- 
dustrial Home  (Rodokwai),  the  aim  of  which  was  to  en- 


Training  Christian  Leaders  195 

able  students  to  earn  a  large  portion  of  their  expenses. 
There  was  a  time  when  this  Industrial  Home  kept  Tohoku 
Gakuin  alive.  Then  there  were  70  students  in  the  Home. 
They  spent  three  hours  a  day  in  various  kinds  of  work, 
printing,  laundry,  dairy,  carrying  newspapers,  and  ped- 
dling the  sauces  used  in  cooking.  It  has  been  very 
difficult  to  make  the  Home  a  financial  success.  Ac- 
cordingly the  number  of  students  has  been  reduced  to 
30.  But  it  is  the  desire  that  always  there  should  remain 
this  provision  for  poor,  but  worthy  and  talented  students. 
In  addition  to  what  a  student  earns  in  the  Home,  he 
needs  about  ^2.50  or  $2  ^  month.  The  property  of  the 
Home  consists  of  about  two  and  a  half  acres  on  Hachi- 
bancho  (Eighth  Street)  on  the  East  Side  of  Sendai,  with 
^  dormitory,  a  printing  house  and  a  dairy,  acquired 
through  the  efforts  of  Rev.  S.  S.  Snyder. 

Beneficiary  Aid.  When  candidates  for  the  ministry 
reach  the  higher  classes,  if  they  are  found  worthy,  they 
may  be  supported  entirely  by  the  beneficiary  fund  of  the 
institution,  which  is  in  charge  of  a  committee  of  theo- 
logical professors.  The  maximum  amount  granted  to 
a  regular  theological  student  is  ^6.00  a  month  during 
the  first  year  and  $6.50  during  the  second  and  third  years. 
Candidates  in  the  Collegiate  Department  may  receive 
as  high  as  $4.00.  A  student  in  the  Industrial  Home  en- 
rolled in  the  Middle  School  may  be  paid  ^1.25,  the  aid 
being  granted  in  the  form  of  a  loan. 

Dormitories.  About  125  of  the  students  live  in  the 
three  domitories  of  the  school:  the  higher  department 
dormitory,  20;  the  middle  school  dormitory,  75;  and  the 
industrial  home  dormitory,  30.  Of  the  rest,  some  live 
in  their  own  homes  in  Sendai,  some  with  relatives  or 


196  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

friends,  some  in  boarding-houses,  and  some  board  them- 
selves. Those  living  in  the  Industrial  Home  take  first 
rank  in  scholarship,  those  in  the  dormitories  next,  those 
with  relatives  or  in  rented  rooms  next,  and  those  living 
at  home  are  lowest. 

Careful  Oversight.  For  the  supervision  of  those 
living  outside  of  the  dormitories,  the  city  is  divided  into 
five  districts  and  a  teacher  is  in  charge  of  each  district. 
He  visits  the  lodging-places  of  the  students  about  once  a 
term  and  inquires  into  conditions.  He  has  the  right  to 
order  a  change  if  he  sees  fit.  Each  student  is  required  to 
report  his  residence  and  also  affix  a  wooden  tablet  bearing 
his  name  on  the  gate  post.  In  addition  to  these  general 
overseers,  there  are  two  special  overseers  whose  business 
it  is  to  see  that  students  do  not  visit  improper  places  of 
amusement.     Going  to  "movies"  is  forbidden. 

Students'  Expenditures.  The  expense  of  living  in  a 
dormitory  is  $3.15  per  month,  including  boarding,  ser- 
vants* hire  and  room  rent,  light  and  fuel.  The  dormitory 
is  managed  on  the  club  plan,  a  committee  of  the  students, 
under  the  monitor's  direction,  hiring  the  servants,  buying 
the  food  and  then  dividing  expenses.  Including  tuition, 
books  and  miscellaneous  items,  $6  a  month  is  required 
by  a  student  in  the  Middle  School.  In  the  higher  de- 
partment a  dollar  more  may  be  needed,  books  being  more 
expensive.  In  boarding  houses  the  cost  is  greater,  but 
self-boarding  students  get  through  with  less. 

Three  Terms.  The  school  year  begins  in  April.  The 
year  is  divided  into  three  terms,  the  first  one  ending  in 
July,  the  second  beginning  with  September  and  ending  at 
Christmas,  the  third  beginning  early  in  January  and  end- 
ing in  March.     Each    term  ends  with  an  examination. 


Training  Christian  Leaders  197 

According  to  the  regulations  of  the  government,  in  a 
Middle  School  220  days  of  actual  teaching  are  required, 
exclusive  of  examinations. 

Instruction  in  Religion.  Each  day's  work  is  begun 
with  a  service  in  the  chapel,  which  all  students  are  re- 
quired to  attend.  There  is  a  carefully  graded  course  in 
the  Bible,  in  which  there  are  recitations  and  examina- 
tions as  in  other  branches.  In  the  first  two  years  of  the 
Middle  School  there  are  two  periods  a  week,  in  all  the 
rest  of  the  classes,  one.  Teachers  are  carefully  selected 
for  this  work.  In  addition  there  is  a  weekly  moral 
lecture,  which  is  used  to  instil  the  Christian  virtues  and 
the  Christian  view  of  God,  man  and  the  world.  In 
each  of  the  dormitories  there  is  a  weekly  religious  meet- 
ing which  all  are  required  to  attend. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  Voluntary  religious  work  is  carried  for- 
ward under  the  auspices  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  The  organ- 
ization has  a  teacher  as  head,  and  a  number  of  students 
serve  as  a  central  committee.  The  association  conducts 
three  voluntary  Bible  classes  and  holds  a  prayer  meeting 
every  Wednesday  morning.  In  addition  a  committee 
of  three  students  in  each  class,  in  consultation  with  the 
teacher  as  adviser,  carry  on  work  within  the  class.  Thus 
there  are  frequent  meetings  of  the  Christians  of  each 
class  for  prayer  and  mutual  encouragement. 

Many  Conversions.  The  result  is  that  about  half 
of  those  that  graduate  from  the  Middle  School  (in  191 7, 
31  out  of  51)  are  baptized  Christians,  while  the  rest  are 
more  Christian  than  anything  else  in  their  ideals  and 
standards.  Nearly  all  of  those  that  remain  to  graduate 
from  the  collegiate  course  become  Christians.  Some 
who  resist  while  they  are  in  the  school  are  moved  after- 


198  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

wards  to  seek  baptism,  and  among  these  are  some  of  the 
strongest  characters.  Some  who  would  become  Chris- 
tians are  hindered  by  their  families.  Of  the  theological 
students,  naturally  100  per  cent  are  Christians;  of  the 
collegiate  students,  60  per  cent;  of  the  boys  in  the  Mid- 
dle School,  30  per  cent;  of  all  in  the  three  departments, 
2S  per  cent. 

Literary  Interests.  The  strong  feature  of  the  work  of 
the  College  is  proficiency  in  English,  which  is,  for  the 
Japanese,  very  hard  to  learn.  To  the  study  of  this 
language  a  great  deal  of  time  is  given;  over  one-fourth  of 
the  2^  periods  in  each  week  in  the  Middle  School  and  over 
one-third  of  the  24  required  periods  in  the  College.  Ger- 
man is  also  offered  in  the  College.  Latin  and  Greek  are 
studied  by  few;  instead,  the  classical  Chinese  and  Ja- 
panese are  prescribed.  Once  a  year  the  Literary  Society 
presents  to  the  public  a  good  programme,  including,  us- 
ually, a  portion  of  a  Shakespearean  play.  The  patience 
of  a  Japanese  audience  can  be  gauged  by  the  fact  that  the 
last  anniversary  continued  six  hours,  from  six  o'clock  to 
midnight,  and  the  house  was  packed  to  the  limit. 

Athletic  Interests.  The  physique  of  the  students 
is  carefully  developed,  but  there  are  practically  no  inter- 
collegiate events.  The  old  Japanese  sports,  such  as 
wrestling  (jujutsu),  fencing  (kenjutsu),  and  archery  are 
most  popular.  The  aim  in  the  type  of  wrestling  called 
jujutsu  is  to  learn  how  to  disable  an  opponent  without 
the  use  of  any  weapon — an  art  so  dangerous  that  its 
chief  secrets  are  supposed  to  be  disclosed  only  to  men  of 
high  moral  character.  In  fencing  a  kind  of  helmet  and 
armor  are  worn  and  the  contestants  pound  and  punch 
each  other  with  heavy  sticks  wielded   by   both  hands. 


Teacher  cf  Gymnastics 


Training  Christian  Leaders  199 

Of  foreign  games  tennis  is  most  common  and  is  played 
with  great  skill.  Baseball  is  very  popular,  but  the  school 
has  not  been  able  to  afford  a  convenient  diamond.  Once 
a  year  there  is  a  grand  holiday,  called  Founder's  Day, 
when  the  grounds  are  gayly  decorated  and  the  day  is 
spent  in  athletic  contests  of  every  imaginable  kind. 

A  Hundred  Ministers.  Of  the  32  graduates  of  the 
regular  theological  course,  12  are  now  engaged  in  the 
direct  work  of  preaching,  most  of  them  in  the  Nihon 
Kirisuto  Kyokwai.  Ten  others  are  in  Christian  edu- 
cational work,  4  being  theological  professors,  one,  head 
of  a  Christian  Girls'  School  and  one,  head  of  the  Bible 
Women's  Training  School  of  the  Union  Mission  in  Yo- 
kohama. Of  the  remaining  ten,  five  have  died,  most  of 
them  leaving  behind  a  record  of  years  of  faithful  service. 
One  of  these,  who  passed  away  recently,  was  one  of  the 
most  highly  esteemed  theological  professors  of  the  Do- 
shisha  at  Kyoto.  Of  the  other  five,  one  is  connected  with 
the  Christian  Orphanage,  one  has  had  to  retire  from 
preaching  on  account  of  ill  health,  one  is  about  to  return 
from  America,  where  he  studied  theology,  and  two,  after 
serving  in  the  ministry  awhile,  are  now  teaching  in  gov- 
ernment schools.  Of  the  52  graduates  of  the  special 
theological  course,  30  are  now  engaged  in  preaching. 
Besides  this  total  of  84  theological  graduates,  there  are 
15  others  that  were  once  in  Tohoku  Gakuin,  who,  though 
leaving  before  graduating  from  the  seminary,  are  now 
engaged  in  preaching.  Among  these  may  be  named 
Rev.  Kimura-Seimatsu,  the  noted  evangelist,  "The  Billy 
Sunday  of  Japan,"  and  Rev.  Kodaira-Kunio,  prominent 
pastor  in  San  Francisco  and  head  of  the  Japanese  Evan- 
gelistic Union  of  the  Pacific  Coast.     The  work  of  the 


200  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Reformed  Church  in  North  Japan  is  carried  on  mainly 
by  graduates  of  Tohoku  Gakuin. 

Other  Alumni.  Besides  those  who  studied  for  the 
ministry  there  have  been  hundreds  of  graduates,  the  total 
number  of  alumni  in  1917  being  ^^6.  Statistics  are  un- 
interesting and  there  is  no  space  for  detail,  but  we  will 
briefly  refer  to  a  few  typical  graduates.  Mr.  Imai  has 
been  for  many  years  in  the  diplomatic  service,  and  is  now 
First  Secretary  of  the  Japanese  Legation  at  Rome.  He 
is  a  faithful  reader  of  his  church-paper,  the  Fukuin  Shimpo. 
Mr.  Komatsu  is  a  University  graduate  and  a  leader  in  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  As  national  secretary  he  has  traveled  all 
over  Japan,  visiting  the  different  associations,  and  edited 
the  Pioneer  (Kaitakusha),  a  very  influential  periodical, 
the  organ  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  He  has  been  for  years  the 
leading  elder  of  the  Kanda  Church  in  Tokyo.  Mr. 
Yoshida-Tatsuo  served  for  some  years  as  an  evangelist, 
but,  convinced  that  he  had  made  a  mistake  in  entering 
the  ministry,  became  a  business-man  in  Osaka.  He  has 
prospered  and  contributes  liberally  to  Christian  causes. 
He  recently  gave  a  bell  to  the  church  in  Fukushima. 
Mr.  Sato-Chomatsu  was  for  a  while  on  the  staff  of  a 
newspaper  in  San  Francisco.  He  is  now  one  of  the  lead- 
ing men  on  the  staff  of  the  Yorozu  Choho,  a  prominent 
Tokyo  daily.  His  specialties  are  editorials,  educational 
news,  and  interviews  with  cabinet  ministers. 

Reputation  of  the  College.  Such  is  the  general 
character  of  the  institution  of  which  the  Mayor  of  Sendai 
city  has  said:  **In  Sendai  education  is  ahead  of  every 
other  enterprise,  but  among  the  educational  institutions 
of  Sendai,  Tohoku  Gakuin  is  the  pride  of  the  city."  The 
president  of  the  chief  educational  institution  of  the  gov- 


Training  Christian  Leaders  201 

ernment  in  Sendai,  who  when  he  first  came  to  the  city 
frankly  declared  his  opposition  to  the  cause  for  which 
Tohoku  Gakuin  stands,  recently  in  a  public  address  ex- 
pressed his  admiration  of  the  school.  From  various 
sources  it  has  been  learned  that  in  the  opinion  of  the 
authorities  of  the  Educational  Department  of  the  Japan- 
ese Government,  Tohoku  Gakuin  is  one  of  the  best  two 
private  schools  for  young  men  in  the  Empire.  The  other 
is  the  Morning  Star  (Gyosei)  Middle  School  of  Tokyo,  a 
Roman  Catholic  institution  in  which  missionary  teachers 
are  numerous  and  no  pains  are  spared  to  attain  the  highest 
efficiency.  Indeed,  so  excellent  is  the  work  of  this  school 
that  some  of  the  most  prominent  families  of  the  capital 
seem  to  prefer  it  to  the  Peers'  School,  which  is  maintained 
by  the  government  and  at  which  the  sons  of  the  Emperor 
receive  their  education.  It  is  very  significant  that  our 
College  has  been  put  by  experts  into  the  same  class  with 
Gyosei  Middle  School,  for  in  the  Roman  Catholic  School 
educational  efficiency  is  the  aim  and  the  Christian  religion 
as  such  is  not  in  any  way  obtruded  upon  the  attention  of 
the  students.  There  is  much  to  be  said  for  such  a  policy* 
Too  great  eagerness  to  convert  a  student  may  scare  him 
away.  But  in  North  Japan  College  the  teachers  and 
officers,  while  respecting  the  freedom  of  the  students 
and  not  putting  any  pressure  upon  them  to  become 
Christians,  properly  emphasize  the  Christian  religion  as, 
the  chief  factor  in  the  life  of  the  school.  The  prospectus 
of  the  College  says,  "The  culture  of  Christian  faith  and 
character  is  an  integral  part  of  a  true  education." 

Leadership  of  Dr.  Schneder.  President  Schneder 
was  recently  granted  by  the  Emperor  a  decoration  for 
his  services  to  the  nation  as  an  educator.     He  is  the  leader 


202  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

of  the  missionaries  engaged  in  educational  work  in  Japan 
and  writes  the  article  on  Education  in  the  Year-book  of 
the  Federated  Missions,  "The  Christian  Movement  in 
the  Japanese  Empire." 

The  Union  Christian  University.  Dr.  Schneder 
has  given  a  great  deal  of  time  and  energy  to  the  promo- 
tion of  the  proposed  Union  University  which,  he  says,  is 
to  be  **the  strongest  influence  toward  the  dominance  of 
Japanese  thought  by  Christianity"  and  "an  outlet  for 
the  graduates  of  Christian  colleges,  who  cannot  now  enter 
government  universities."  There  is  no  time  now  to 
emphasize  the  need  of  this.  It  may  be  enough  to  quote 
Dr.  John  R.  Mott's  recently  expressed  opinion  of  the 
plan:  "My  interest  in  the  project  has  never  been  keener; 
never  did  I  believe  in  it  more;  never  did  I  wish  more 
that  I  had  more  lives  to  spend  in  helping  to  give  eflfect  to 
these  statesmanlike  measures." 

Japanese  Women  and  Christianity.  There  is 
another  prominent  institution  in  Sendai,  the  Miyagi 
Girls*  School.  Many  of  us  think  that  the  work  of  chris- 
tianizing Japan  must  be  done  largely  by  the  women. 
Women  are  naturally  conservative  and  slow  to  take  up 
anything  new.  But  when  once  their  interest  is  awakened 
they  show  far  greater  patience  and  persistence  than  the 
men.  An  interesting  illustration  of  this  occurred  some 
years  ago  at  Ogawara.  A  lawyer  named  Niiya  became 
interested  in  the  preaching  at  the  chapel.  He  was 
finally  discouraged  by  his  wife.  After  he  had  stopped 
going  Mrs.  Niiya  began  to  wonder  if  she  had  done  the 
right  thing,  visited  the  chapel,  became  a  convert,  and 
finally  brought  the  whole  family  into  the  church.     This 


Training  Christian  Leaders  203 

instance  is  typical  of  the  part  that  women  have  to  play 
in  the  work  of  bringing  Japan  to  Christ. 

Beginnings  of  Girls'  School.  Miyagi  Girls*  School 
was  the  first  high  school  for  girls  north  of  Tokyo.  It 
was  established  in  1885,  when  Miss  Poorbaugh  (now  Mrs. 
Cyrus  Cort),  and  Miss  Ault  (now  Mrs.  William  E.  Hoy 
of  Yochow,  China),  came  as  the  first  women  missionaries 
appointed  to  the  Tohoku  Mission.  They  opened  their 
small  school  with  two  or  three  pupils  in  a  Japanese  house 
several  blocks  north  of  the  present  location.  All  the 
subjects,  such  as  history,  geography,  mathematics,  etc., 
were  taught  in  English,  a  Japanese  teacher  being  called 
in  to  teach  the  Chinese  classics  and  Japanese  reading, 
writing  and  composition.  It  was  to  learn  English  that 
those  girls  came  to  the  school,  and  it  is  still  English  and 
music  that  attract  the  students  who  come  from  non- 
Christian  families,  as  the  majority  do.  English  is  to  the 
Japanese  what  French  was  to  the  English  people  two  or 
three  centuries  ago — the  stamp  of  culture. 

A  Providential  Disaster.  The  school  soon  outgrew  the 
little  Japanese  house.  A  plot  of  land  was  bought  for  it 
by  a  donation  from  Dr.  and  Mrs.  J.  I.  Swander,  and  two 
frame  buildings  were  erected,  a  home  for  the  American 
teachers  and,  opposite  it,  a  combination  recitation  hall 
and  dormitory.  In  1902,  the  latter  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  This  fire,  as  is  often  the  case,  proved  a  blessing  in 
disguise,  for  the  school  had  outgrown  its  shell.  After  a 
year  of  deprivation  and  hardship  the  Church  came  loyally 
to  the  rescue,  additional  land  was  bought,  and  the  present 
fine  recitation  building  and  a  large  dormitory,  housing 
80  girls,  were  completed  by  1904.  The  following  year 
the  entering  Freshman  class  numbered  40  and  in  five 


204  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

ye  ars'  time  the  new  building  was  filled,  every  class  having 
its  full  number  of  students. 

Schools  for  Girls  Numerous  Now.  The  School  is 
now  thirty-two  years  of  age  and  no  longer  the  only  one 
of  its  kind.  Not  to  speak  of  government  schools,  there 
are  in  Sendai  four  other  Christian  schools  for  girls:  the 
large  Roman  Catholic  institution,  with  230  pupils;  the 
Baptist  school,  at  which  we  have  glanced;  the  Episco- 
palian Church  Training  School,  and  a  little  Methodist 
school  called  "Self-Help  Seminary."  Each  of  these  has 
its  special  sphere  of  influence  and  none  detracts  from  the 
continued  and  increasing  usefulness  of  Miyagi  Girls* 
School. 

Aim  of  the  School.  Education  in  Japan  is  progressing 
rapidly,  as  is  everything  else  in  the  empire.  The  mis- 
sion schools,  once  far  in  advance,  now  find  that  they  must 
struggle  to  keep  in  touch  with  up-to-date  methods  if  they 
are  not  to  be  outstripped  by  government  schools.  It  is 
the  ideal  of  the  School  not  only  to  excel  in  English  and 
music,  but  also  to  give  its  students  a  thorough  education 
in  all  Japanese  branches.  It  does  not  wish  to  be  a  mere 
fashionable  finishing  school.  It  stands  for  solid  education, 
culture  and  religion.  Moreover,  Japanese  girls  must  be 
trained  for  life  and  work  in  Japanese  society.  The  aim 
is  to  send  out  girls  who  are  as  Christians  fitted  physically, 
mentally  and  spiritually  to  exert  the  greatest  influence 
possible  in  the  interest  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  Japan,  to 
build  up  a  school  that  will  attract  the  brightest  and  most 
talented  girls  of  all  classes.  To  do  this  there  is  need  of 
the  best  possible  equipment  in  buildings,  apparatus  and 
teachers. 

Religion  in  the  Home.    A  principal  aim  of  the  School 


Training  Christian  Leaders  205 

is  to  train  women  to  be  Christian  leaders.  But  we  are 
not  so  narrow  as  to  think  that  its  success  is  measured  by 
the  number  of  professional  religious  workers  among  its 
alumnae.  The  most  fundamental  work  to  be  done  in 
Japan  is  the  establishment  of  Christian  homes.  To  have 
Christian  homes  we  must  have  Christian  wives  and  moth- 
ers. All  over  Japan  there  are  beautiful  homes  over 
which  women  preside  who  received  their  faith  and  training 
in  Miyagi  Girls*  School.  These  homes  are  centers  of 
Christian  influence  in  the  neighborhoods  in  which  they 
are  placed.  Already  some  of  the  children  of  these  homes 
are  in  course  of  preparation  for  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 
In  this  way  the  Church  becomes  a  mighty  spiritual  power 
at  the  very  heart  of  Japan,  and  towards  this  consumma- 
tion Miyagi  Girls'  School  is  making  a  very  definite  con- 
tribution. 

Management.  The  School  is  managed  by  a  Board 
constituted,  as  is  the  Board  governing  Tohoku  Gakuin, 
half  of  American  members  and  half  of  Japanese.  But 
the  principal,  now  Rev.  Allen  K.  Faust,  Ph.D.,  appointed 
by  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  is  ex-officio  member 
of  the  Board  of  Managers.  Complete  reports  of  the  work 
of  the  School,  financial,  educational  and  religious,  are 
submitted  annually  to  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

Departments.  There  are  two  departments,  an  ac- 
ademic or  high  school  department,  with  a  course  of  five 
years,  admitting  girls  who  have  finished  the  common 
school  course  of  six  years,  and  a  higher  department  with 
four  courses,  a  two  years*  course  in  Bible  study  and 
training  for  religious  work,  a  two  years*  course  in  domestic 
science,  a  three  years*  course  in  English  and  a  three  years* 
course  in  music. 


2o6  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

New  Buildings.  In  1917,  a  small  dormitory  for  the 
Bible  Training  course  was  enlarged  and  remodeled  and  a 
second  Recitation  Hall  was  in  process  of  construction. 
The  latter  is  especially  adapted  to  the  courses  given  in 
the  higher  department,  having  accommodations  for  in- 
struction in  physics  and  chemistry,  in  domestic  science  and 
in  music.  The  students  of  the  high  school  course  will 
use  the  new  building  in  their  classes  in  chemistry  and 
music.  The  cost  of  the  hall,  $17,500,  is  being  defrayed  by 
the  generous  contributions  of  the  Woman's  Missionary 
Societies.  The  value  of  the  land  and  buildings  is  now 
about  $60,000. 

Capable  Teachers  Sought.  Buildings  and  apparatus 
are  important  to  attract  the  best  girls,  but,  to  hold  their 
interest  when  once  the  students  have  entered,  the  faculty 
is  most  important.  Year  by  year  the  School  has  endeav- 
ored to  secure  teachers,  both  American  and  Japanese, 
who  will  command  the  respect  of  the  students  by  their 
scholarship,  ability  to  teach  and,  most  necessary  of  all, 
by  their  high  standard  of  character  and  life.  It  can 
readily  be  seen  that  the  American  missionary  teacher 
should  be  a  graduate  of  one  of  our  best  colleges.  The 
most  scholarly,  the  most  accomplished,  the  most  womanly 
woman  can  find  abundant  opportunity  to  use  all  her 
knowledge  and  ability  in  this  School. 

Expenses  Small.  Not  counting  the  salaries  of  the 
foreign  teachers,  the  School  is  just  about  one-third  self- 
supporting.  The  Board's  appropriation  is  now  $6,400  a 
year.  The  tuition  charge  is  quite  low,  75  cents  a  month 
in  the  high  school  department  and  $1  a  month  in  the  higher 
department.  The  cost  of  educating  a  girl  in  Miyagi 
Girls'  School,  including  room,  tuition  and  board,  amounts 


Training  Christian  Leaders  207 

to  only  ^37  a  year.  One  American  dollar  here  does  the 
work  of  $10  and  ^20  in  America,  when  it  is  spent  for  a 
corresponding  purpose. 

The  Raw  Material.  The  Freshman  Class  usually 
starts  with  about  40  girls  ranging  in  mentality  from  the 
brightest  to  the  most  stupid.  Education  for  girls  in 
Japan  is  barely  fifty  years  old;  therefore,  few  of  the 
pupils  come  from  homes  where  the  mother  is  an  educated 
woman.  The  modern  primary  school  there  is  governed 
by  the  idea  that  education  is  pouring  knowledge  into  the 
pupils  rather  than  teaching  them  to  extract  knowledge  for 
themselves  from  the  world  and  from  books.  Therefore, 
a  large  part  of  the  first  year  is  taken  up  with  the  task 
of  teaching  the  pupil  how  to  study.  The  largest  class  that 
ever  graduated  from  the  high  school  course  numbered  26. 

All  Ranks  Represented.  The  schools  of  Japan  are 
truly  democratic  in  spirit.  Students  coming  from  some 
of  the  most  aristocratic  families  meet  in  the  school-room 
girls  from  the  middle  class,  and  even  some  from  the 
laboring  class,  and  they  meet  them  as  equals.  Mental 
ability  and  real  worth  take  the  place  of  class  distinctions 
during  the  school  life.  The  daughters  of  a  nobleman, 
high  in  military  circles,  and  the  descendants  of  old  feudal 
lords  sit  side  by  side  with  daughters  of  physicians,  of 
lawyers,  of  farmers,  or  even  of  coolies  and  menials. 

Strong  Christian  Influence.  The  present  enroll- 
ment is  222.  Nearly  half  of  the  students  come  from  Sendai 
homes;  the  other  half  from  the  principal  towns  and  country 
districts  of  Tohoku.  Only  12  per  cent  of  the  girls  come 
from  Christian  families.  Some  of  them  are  from  homes 
where  Christianity  is  barely  tolerated  or  even  despised; 
yet  wishing  their  daughters  to  become  accomplished  in 


2o8  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

English  and  music,  parents  send  them  where  they  think 
that  they  will  receive  the  best  instruction  in  these  subjects, 
trusting  that  their  home  training  will  keep  them  impervious 
to  the  religious  influence  of  the  School.  But  girls  of  high 
school  age  are  plastic  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ  so  pervades 
the  work  that  the  great  majority  of  the  girls  become 
Christians  before  they  reach  their  senior  year.  At  the 
end  of  the  last  school-year  70  per  cent  of  all  the  stu- 
dents were  Christians. 

Supported  Students.  The  School  continues  to  give 
support  to  one-tenth  of  the  students  in  the  high  school 
department.  More  self-supporting  students  than  the 
School  can  hold  could  be  obtained,  but  the  managers  wish 
it  to  be  a  power  among  all  classes,  the  rich  and  the  poor, 
and  as  some  of  the  very  best  Christian  leaders  have 
come  from  among  the  supported  students,  it  is  the  aim 
to  continue  to  aid  bright,  promising  girls  of  good  charac- 
ter, who  are  too  poor  to  get  an  education  without  aid. 

The  High  School  Course.  The  curriculum  of  a 
high  school  in  Japan  corresponds  closely  to  a  school  of 
the  same  grade  in  America.  Higher  arithmetic,  algebra, 
geometry,  geography,  botany,  zoology,  chemistry  and 
hygiene  are  taught.  In  foreign  history,  Japanese  girls 
study  first  the  history  of  Korea,  China,  and  India,  as 
American  girls  study  that  of  England,  France  and  Ger- 
many. In  the  senior  year  western  history  is  studied. 
English  is  learned  as  an  American  would  learn  German, 
French  or  Spanish.  The  Chinese  studied  in  a  Japanese 
school  is  not  the  modern  spoken  Chinese,  but  corresponds 
to  Latin,  Greek  or  Anglo-Saxon,  and  has  the  same  re- 
lation to  modern  Chinese  that  Latin  has  to  Italian. 
Sewing  and  cooking  are  subjects  very  much  emphasized 


Training  Christian  Leaders  209 

in  the  education  of  a  Japanese  girl,  especially  the  former. 
She  studies  it  all  through  the  primary  school,  through 
high  school,  and  usually  before  her  marriage  she  special- 
izes in  a  regular  sewing  school  for  a  year  or  two.  In 
general,  the  girl  who  graduates  from  a  high  school  in 
Japan  will  rank  well  with  an  American  girl  who  is  a  senior 
in  high  school. 

Christian  Teaching  in  the  High  School.  The  great 
difference  between  the  curriculum  of  a  government 
school  and  a  mission  school  is  that  in  the  latter  the  Bible 
is  taught.  In  the  high  school  course  every  class  has  at 
least  four  periods  of  Bible  a  week.  Most  government 
high  schools  have  a  four  years'  course,  but  mission  schools, 
because  of  the  stress  laid  on  the  Bible,  English  and  music, 
keep  the  pupils  one  year  longer.  Christianity  is  taught 
not  only  in  Bible  classes.  Our  English  readers  and  class- 
ics are  so  full  of  the  principles  and  teachings  of  Christ 
that  the  study  of  the  English  language  itself  exerts  a 
Christian  influence.  History,  especially  western  history, 
when  taught  by  a  Christian  teacher,  is  quite  a  different 
thing  from  history  as  taught  by  a  teacher  who  knows 
nothing  of  Christianity  and  its  influence  upon  the  western 
world. 

Forty  Periods  a  Week.  The  school  day  begins  at 
eight  o'clock  with  a  short  religious  service  in  the  pretty 
chapel  of  the  recitation  building,  and  ends  at  half  past 
two.  The  time  is  divided  into  eight  periods  of  forty 
minutes  each,  with  an  hour's  recess  at  noon.  There  are 
no  study  periods.  Most  schools  in  Japan  are  in  session 
six  days  of  the  week,  but  here  the  week  of  five  school  days 
has  been  adopted  because  so  many  of  the  students  in 
the  upper  classes  teach  both  morning  and  afternoon  on 
Sunday  and,  therefore,  need  Saturday  as  a  rest-day. 


2IO  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Courses  in  Higher  Department.  There  are  four 
postgraduate  courses.  As  there  is  no  institution  for  the 
higher  education  of  women  north  of  Tokyo,  it  is  the  in- 
tention gradually  to  develop  these  higher  departments 
into  a  good  college. 

1.  In  1900  a  Graduate  Course  of  Bible  Study  was 
added.  The  purpose  of  this  is  to  train  a  girl  to  do  the 
work  of  a  "Bible  Woman."  One  year's  study  having 
been  found  insufficient,  in  191 6,  the  course  was  lengthened 
to  two  years  and  in  time,  it  is  hoped,  the  course  will  be 
extended  to  three  years. 

2.  In  191 2,  a  Domestic  Science  Course  of  three  years 
was  opened,  but  this  was  shortened  in  191 6  to  a  two 
years'  course.  Observing  that  graduates  often  entered 
"sewing  schools,"  which  are  in  many  cases  low  in  moral 
tone,  even  if  they  are  not  strongly  Buddhistic  in  their 
teaching,  this  course  was  opened  to  keep  the  girls  longer 
under  Christian  influence.  It  has  proved  very  attractive 
to  graduates  of  government  high  schools,  especially 
those  coming  from  military  families,  where  foreign  cook- 
ing is  highly  prized. 

3.  In  191 5,  a  Higher  English  Course  of  three  years 
was  opened  for  those  students  who  wished  to  fit  them- 
selves to  teach  English  and  for  those  who  wished  to 
study  it  as  a  means  of  culture. 

4.  Though  a  higher  department  in  music- was  not  form- 
ally organized  until  191 6,  it  had  virtually  existed  for 
several  years  and,  in  191 7,  two  were  graduated  from  this 
department.  Both  are  teachers  in  the  School.  This 
higher  department  in  music  corresponds  to  about  two 
years  in  a  good  American  conservatory.  . 

The  Class  Presidents.     In    the   Girls*    School   class- 


Training  Christian  Leaders  211 

spirit  and  school-spirit  are  as  strong  as  in  any  private 
school  in  America.  Each  class  is  organized,  the  presi- 
dent being  appointed  each  year  by  the  principal.  In 
making  the  appointment,  the  principal  considers  two 
things.  First,  the  girl  must  be  a  Christian,  and,  secondly, 
she  must  rank  high  in  scholarship.  She  is  the  representa- 
tive of  her  class  before  the  principal,  the  teachers  and 
the  school.  On  all  national  holidays  celebrated  by  the 
school  she  reads  an  original  poem  or  essay  in  honor  of 
the  occasion,  thereby  expressing  the  sentiments  of  her 
class. 

Life  in  the  Dormitory.  From  one-third  to  one-half 
of  the  girls  live  in  the  dormitory  of  the  school.  A  typical 
room  considered  ample  for  three  girls  is  twelve  feet 
square.  At  one  end  is  a  built-in  wardrobe,  three  feet 
wide,  divided  into  upper  and  lower  compartments  by 
horizontal  partitions.  In  this  each  girl  keeps  her  clothes 
neatly  folded  in  a  telescope  made  of  basket  work  {kori)y 
which  takes  the  place  in  Japan  of  the  American  suit- 
case or  small  trunk.  On  the  upper  shelf  are  kept  the 
thick  cotton  comforters  which,  spread  upon  the  thick  straw 
mats,  one  for  a  mattress  and  one  for  a  cover,  make  the 
bed  at  night.  The  only  piece  of  furniture  is  a  tiny  study 
table  two  feet  high,  one  for  each  girl.  On  this  table  she 
keeps  her  few  books  and  writing  materials.  Above  it 
one  or  two  pictures,  usually  unframed  prints  of  sacred 
pictures,  or  Sunday  School  cards,  are  fastened  to  the 
wall.  Each  room  is  in  charge  of  a  Christian  girl  called 
the  room-mother,  who  is  responsible  to  the  matron  for 
the  other  girls.  Every  evening  at  six  o'clock  the  girls 
meet  in  the  study  room  for  a  short  service  of  prayer  con- 
ducted by  the  teachers  or  by  girls  in  the  higher  depart- 


212  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

ments.  From  seven  to  nine-thirty,  the  time  is  spent 
in  the  study  room. 

Serving  Meals.  The  dining  room  is  furnished  with 
long  tables  and  benches.  Each  girl's  portion  is  placed 
on  a  tray  in  true  Japanese  style  and  the  trays  are  placed 
in  order  on  the  tables.  All  the  girls  have  turns  in  bring- 
ing in  the  trays  and  in  serving  the  hot  rice  from  the 
pretty  wooden  tubs  bound  with  shining  brass  hoops, 
that  they  may  learn  to  do  properly  what  every  Japanese 
woman,  rich  or  poor,  must  do. 

Rest  on  Saturday.  Saturday  is  spent  as  it  is  spent 
by  girls  living  in  an  American  dormitory.  It  is  the  day 
when  everyone  can  do  as  she  pleases.  Laundry,  mending, 
shopping,  visiting  and  walking  make  up  the  day.  Often 
in  the  evening  different  classes  will  have  a  class-spread 
in  the  dining  room.  Games  may  be  played,  such  as 
poem  cards,  or  forfeit  games,  of  which  there  are  several 
varieties  handed  down  from  ancient  times.  Sometimes 
story-telling  or  reading  aloud  is  the  order  of  the  evening. 
In  the  matter  of  books,  however,  the  American  high 
school  girl  is  a  millionaire  as  compared  to  her  poverty- 
stricken  Japanese  sister.  Old  Japanese  stories  are 
written  in  such  difficult  classical  language  that  only  a 
scholar  can  understand  them.  Only  in  the  last  few  years 
has  there  been  a  movement  to  prepare  wholesome  books 
for  young  people.  As  yet,  they  are  few  and  poor  in 
quality,  if  they  are  not  vicious. 

A  Busy  Sunday.  On  Sunday  everyone  goes  to  Sun- 
day School  and  church.  The  younger  girls  go  as  pupils, 
while  most  of  the  older  ones  are  teachers.  Some  go 
on  all  day  trips  into  the  country,  teaching  classes  both 
morning  and  afternoon.     On  Sunday  evening  all  gather 


Training  Christian  Leaders  213 

in  the  home  of  the  American  teachers  for  a  short  vesper 
service. 

Outings.  It  is  a  general  custom  for  Japanese  schools 
to  take  each  year  two  or  three  excursions, — usually 
walking  trips  to  some  place  of  interest.  In  April  all  go 
to  the  famous  cherry  garden  of  Sendai  when  the  blossoms 
are  at  the  height  of  their  loveliness.  In  May,  and  again 
in  early  autumn,  longer  excursions  are  taken,  either  by 
the  school  as  a  whole,  or  by  classes  going  separately. 

Games.  Two  tennis  courts,  a  basket  ball  court  and 
a  gymnasium  (inadequately  equipped)  are  the  attrac- 
tions offered  in  the  way  of  athletics.  Tennis  is  well 
suited  to  Japanese  girls  and  many  of  them  become  quite 
proficient.  One  of  the  prettiest  Japanese  plays  is  walk- 
ing on  a  swinging  log.  A  long  log  is  swung  by  chains 
fastened  at  each  end,  and  the  feat  of  walking  on  it  as  it 
swings  lengthwise  back  and  forth  requires  great  skill  in 
balancing  the  body.  The  long  sleeves  of  the  Japanese 
kimono  and  the  slender  forms  of  the  girls  swaying  with 
the  log  make  this  a  most  picturesque  and  fascinating 
sight. 

Literary  Society.  The  students  have  two  general 
organizations,  a  Literary  Society  and  a  Y.  W.  C,  A.  The 
Literary  Society  holds  a  closed  session  twice  each  term, 
and  an  annual  public  entertainment  in  November.  For 
the  closed  sessions  the  students  make  the  preparations 
with  very  little  assistance  from  the  teachers.  The  pro- 
gram consists  of  Japanese  and  English  essays,  and  Chinese, 
Japanese,  and  English  recitations.  A  Japanese  speech 
may  be  made  on  some  interesting  subject.  The  music, 
both  vocal  and  instrumental,  consists  of  selections  which 
have  been  carefully  taught  in  class.     Usually  the  Eng- 


214  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

lish  essay  also  is  selected  from  those  written  for  class. 
The  annual  public  literary  anniversary  has  a  similar 
program,  but  for  this  the  students  are  carefully  trained 
by  their  teachers.  One  of  the  most  popular  numbers  is 
a  short  English  play.  Selections  from  "Little  Women/* 
"Sarah  Crewe,"  "The  Birds'  Christmas  Carol,"  "Every 
Man,"  and  "King  Lear"  are  some  that  have  been  given 
successfully  after  the  greatest  toil  on  the  part  of  both 
teachers   and   students. 

Y.  W.  C.  A.  The  other  organization,  the  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
is  affiliated  with  the  National  Association.  The  cab- 
inet is  elected  by  the  students  from  the  upper  classes, 
and  carries  on  its  work  without  supervision  by  the  teach- 
ers, although  there  are  two  teachers  who  serve  as  advisers 
and  may  be  consulted  when  necessary.  Every  Wed- 
nesday morning  the  whole  school  meets  for  a  half-hour 
of  prayer,  and  twice  a  month  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  has  entire 
charge  of  this  meeting.  There  are  committees  for  visit- 
ing the  sick  students,  for  looking  after  new  students  and 
for  taking  flowers  to  the  hospital.  On  every  Saturday 
afternoon  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  is  permitted  to  open  the  school 
compound  to  the  children  of  the  neighborhood  as  a  play- 
ground. Several  girls  supervise  the  games  or  gather 
the  children  in  groups  and  tell  them  stories. 

Students'  Summer  Conference.  Delegates  are  sent 
to  the  National  Summer  Conference,  where  they  study 
under  and  listen  to  some  of  the  strongest  Christian  Ja- 
panese in  the  land.  The  inspiration  these  girls  bring 
back  to  their  schoolmates  cannot  be  measured.  Money 
for  their  expenses  is  usually  raised  by  means  of  a  concert 
given  by  the  musicians  among  the  missionaries.  In  the 
summer  of  191 7  for  the  first  time,  the  National  Y.  W. 


c 
B 


O 


Training  Christian  Leaders  215 

C.  A.  held  two  conferences.  The  northern  section  met 
in  Miyagi  Girls*  School,  July  24-30,  and  was  attended  by 
ninety  delegates  from  thirty-three  associations. 

The  Graduates.  There  are  380  alumnae,  graduating 
in  25  classes,  ranging  in  number  from  one  to  twenty-six. 
Of  these  105  have  done  from  one  to  six  years  of  active 
evangelistic  work  before  their  marriage,  and  18,  married 
to  ministers,  are  spending  their  lives  in  direct  Christian 
work.  Seventy-two  are  married  to  men  in  various  kinds 
of  business,  twenty-seven  to  physicians,  lawyers  or  teach- 
ers, twenty-three  to  officials  or  officers  of  the  Army  or 
Navy,  and  eight  to  farmers. 

Single  Workers.  Of  the  232  who  are  not  yet  married, 
the  great  majority  belong  to  the  later  classes.  Some  are 
at  home  learning  to  keep  house  and  become  acceptable 
wives  to  whatever  husbands  their  parents  may  choose 
for  them.  But  others  have  caught  the  spirit  of  the  age 
and  are  unwilling  to  stay  at  home  and  wait  for  a  husband, 
but  wish  either  to  earn  their  own  living  or  improve  them- 
selves by  further  study.  Twenty  are  in  active  evangelis- 
tic work  or  in  Bible  training  schools.  One  has  been  prac- 
ticing medicine  for  a  number  of  years;  another  is  now 
studying  medicine.  Several  are  nurses  or  stenographers. 
Many  are  teachers  of  kindergartens.  All  but  about  three 
per  cent  of  the  graduates  were  Christians  before  they 
left  the  School. 

Scattering  the  Good  Seed.  In  the  city  of  Yama- 
gata  there  are  four  of  our  graduates  working  together 
to  help  in  bringing  that  very  conservative  city  to  Christ. 
One  is  the  pastor's  wife,  one  is  the  helper  of  Mrs.  Kriete 
and  the  other  two  are  kindergartners  and  Sunday  School 
workers.     In  other  places  there  are  two  of  our  graduates 


21 6  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

at  work.  Often  one  works  alone.  So  the  seed  sown  in 
our  School  is  not  lost,  but  with  the  blessing  of  God,  is 
bearing  fruit. 

Some  a  Hundredfold.  How  the  life  of  a  Christian 
school  affects  the  heart  and  mind  of  a  student  may  be 
learned  from  this  confession  addressed  by  a  graduate  to 
one  of  his  teachers:  "While  I  was  in  North  Japan  Col- 
lege I  was  so  shallow-brained  as  to  surmise  that  the  only 
advantage  I  could  derive  from  the  school  was  easy  access 
to  foreigners,  which,  indeed,  was  one  of  which  I  made 
the  most,  to  improve  my  English.  But  now  I  begin  to 
think  that  there  was  another,  a  blessing  greater  and  more 
to  be  thanked  for.  It  has  already  taught  me  to  pray  day 
and  night.  It  is  now  teaching  me  to  aim  high,  to  throw 
away  selfishness,  to  think  more  of  others  than  myself.  It 
is  slowly,  but  steadily,  turning  me  into  another  self,  dif- 
ferent from  what  I  have  been.  Hitherto  my  thoughts 
have  been  turned  to  how  I  shall  succeed  in  a  worldly 
sense.  Now  the  question  what  man  should  do  to  make 
himself  useful  to  the  world  never  ceases  to  haunt  me.** 
In  a  later  letter  the  same  young  man  says:  "A  really 
marvelous  change  has  come  over  my  life.  I  do  believe 
in  Christ  and  I  am  convinced  that  the  Bible  is  the  true 
word  of  God.  Some  years  ago  the  Bible  was  such  dry, 
dry  reading,  of  no  interest  whatever.  Now,  leave  me  a 
single  copy  of  the  Bible  and  I  will  not  complain  if  you 
should  take  away  from  my  library  every  other  book.  I 
truly  hunger  and  thirst  after  any  writing  that  deals  with 
Christ  and  His  Father  ...  I  have  been  giving  to 
my  relatives  and  to  the  students  under  my  care  copies  of 
*The  Common  People*s  Gospel,'  telling  them  that  if  they 
had  their  hearts  prepared  by  reading  this  book  and  the 


Training  Christian  Leaders  217 

Bible,  in  due  time  God  would  surely  kindle  in  them  a 
heavenly   fire.*' 

Family  Won  Through  a  Student.  A  certain  judge 
of  Sendai  sent  his  oldest  son  to  the  Government  Middle 
School  and  the  boy  became  bad.  He  sent  his  second  son 
to  North  Japan  College  and  in  a  short  time  was  so  favor- 
ably impressed  that  he  sent  his  third  son  also  to  the 
Christian  school.  On  New  Year's  day  the  judge  called 
to  see  President  Schneder  and  said:  "I  want  to  thank 
you  for  what  you  have  done  for  my  sons.  Your  school 
can  give  a  foundation  for  character  that  no  other  school 
can  give."  Soon  he  sent  a  fourth  son  and  began  to  at- 
tend church  himself.  A  year  ago,  he  received  baptism 
and  is  now  an  earnest  believer. 

Work  for  Students  m  Other  Schools.  A  mission- 
ary who  knows  how  to  deal  with  young  men,  or  young 
women,  can  accomplish  wonders  among  the  students  of 
government  schools.  This  work  in  Sendai  has  attained 
such  proportions  that  the  International  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
has  recently  appointed  a  secretary  to  take  charge  of  it, 
Mr.  G.  C.  Converse.  Similar  work  has  been  done  by 
our  missionaries  among  the  Normal  School  students  at 
Yamagata,  in  the  Middle  School  at  Yonezawa,  and  in 
the  Middle  School  and  Girls'  High  School  at  Wakamatsu. 

Hostels  Needed.  The  "Survey  of  the  Field  of  the 
Japan  Mission"  says:  **We  recommend  the  foundation  of 
hostels  in  which  about  twenty-five  students  who  are 
Christians  or  desire  to  live  in  a  Christian  atmosphere  can  be 
accommodated,  live  together  and  learn  to  work  for  their 
fellows.  Equipment  for  such  a  hostel,  including  a  dormi- 
tory, prayer-hall,  social  room,  dining  room,  kitchen, 
bath,  etc.,  costs  about  J5,ocx5.     Maintenance  costs  little 


21 8  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

or  nothing.  Of  course  the  services  of  a  Christian  worker 
whose  personal  faith  and  character  inspire  the  students 
is  the  one  thing  needful.  Ten  such  hostels  ought  to  be 
established  in  connection  with  important  schools  in  our 
field  at  the  earliest  possible  date."  The  need  is  urgent 
because  in  every  center  where  students  must  find  lodging 
and  board,  there  are  people  who  make  a  profitable  bus- 
iness of  spoiling  and  fleecing  the  young  men. 

A  Pioneer  Association.  The  oldest  students'  Chris- 
tian association  in  Japan  was  organized  at  the  Reformed 
Church  in  1889  by  students  of  the  Government  College 
in  Sendai.  It  had  to  endure  a  severe  struggle  for  two 
years.  In  the  spring  of  1891,  four  faithful  survivors 
agreed  to  pray  for  four  days,  in  the  morning  at  a  certain 
spot  by  the  river  and  in  the  evening  in  the  plain  of  Miya- 
gi.  Their  prayer  was  heard.  The  association  was  re- 
organized under  the  name  of  **Friends  of  Faith  and  Love" 
(Chuai  No  Tomo)  and  has  had  a  splendid  career  since. 
It  has  had  the  sympathetic  assistance  of  the  missionaries 
and  professors,  chiefly  of  the  Tohoku  Mission,  in  the  city, 
and  its  prestige  and  activity  as  an  evangelistic  agency 
have  helped  the  Christian  cause  immensely.  It  has  a 
branch  in  each  of  the  four  government  universities  of 
Japan. 


Fostering  Infant  Churches 


VII 

FOSTERING  INFANT  CHURCHES 

Introduction:  "Evangelistic"  Work,  a  Form  of  Education. 
Aim  of  This  Work,  Building  up  the  Church. 

A.  Sowing  the  Seed  in  the  Hearts  of  Individuals: 

1.  Quick  Results  in  Some  Cases,  Illustrations  from  Iwanuma 

and  Ononii,  Evangelist  Ichimura. 

2.  Various  Methods  of  Preparing  Soil  and  Sowing  Seed: 

a.  Street  P.  caching. 

b.  Use  of  Stereopticon. 

c.  Tours,  More  or  Less  Carefully  Planned. 

d.  Newspaper  Evangelism,  at  Sendai  and  at  Morioka. 

e.  English  Bible  Classes. 

f.  Lectures:  Rural  Young  Men's  Associations,  Work  of 

Professor  Kajiwara. 

g.  Influence  of  Christmas  Festival. 
h.  Large  Meetings  in  Theatres. 

i.  Follow-up  Work:  Use  of  Tracts,  Periodicals  and  Books. 

B.  Guarding  the  Harvest:  Care  of  the  Local  Churches. 

1.  Organization:  The  "Preaching  Place." 

2.  The  Workers:  The  Evangelist  and  the  "Bible- woman." 

3.  Equipment:  Chapel,  Style  of  Building,  Best  Planned  for  the 

Young,  The  Cemetery. 

4.  Sunday  School,  Young  People's  Society. 

5.  Regular  Services. 

6.  Admission  to  Membership:  Children,  Adults,  Time  for  Bap- 

tism. 

7.  A  "Mission  Church,"  Attainment  of  Independence. 

8.  Disposition  of  Property. 

C.  Relation  of  Missionaries  to  the  Japanese  Church  as  a  Whole: 

1.  Native  Leadership  Stronger  in  Japan  than  in  China. 

2.  The  Missionaries*  Attitude  toward  the  Native  Church, 

3.  Plan  of  Cooperation. 

4.  Evangelistic  Administration:  Reports  and  Estimates. 

5.  Wishes  of  American  Supporters  Respected. 

D.  Evangelization  through  Social  Services: 

1.  Work  in  County-Towns  Harder  than  in  Cities  and  Villages. 

2.  Tohoku  Mission's  Work  Largely  in  the  Towns. 

3.  The  Simple  Method  of  Installing  a  Local  Evangelist  in   a 

Rented  House;  Much  Failure  and  Some  Success. 

4.  Need  of  Institutional  Activities:  Successful  Kindergartens. 


VII. 
FOSTERING  INFANT  CHURCHES 

Evangelistic  Work.  In  distinction  from  the  "edu- 
cational" task,  which  has  just  been  described,  it  is  custo- 
mary to  speak  of  the  work  of  establishing  churches  as 
"evangelistic."  To  most  people  the  word  suggests  the 
kind  of  activity  associated  with  the  names  of  such  evan- 
gelists as  Moody,  Chapman,  or  Sunday.  These  men 
have  to  deal  with  gospel-hardened  people  who  learned 
at  their  mothers*  knees  and  in  a  hundred  other  ways  the 
principles  of  our  religion,  and  need  only  to  be  touched 
and  moved  to  take  a  stand;  but  in  Japan,  the  Christian 
senses  of  the  words,  God,  sin,  salvation,  etc.,  are  not 
understood,  and  until  the  people  are  trained  to  understand 
them,  a  sudden  emotional  appeal  may  do  more  harm 
than  good,  bringing  into  the  Church  people  who  have 
not  the  right  motive  and  misunderstand  the  situation. 

A  Work  of  Patient  Instruction.  The  word  * 'evan- 
gelize" is  derived  from  the  Greek  '^evangel,"  which  in 
the  Greek  New  Testament  is  the  equivalent  of  our  word, 
"Gospel" — the  good  news  of  salvation.  To  evangelize 
is  "to  give  all  men  an  adequate  opportunity  to  know 
Jesus  Christ  as  their  Savior  and  to  become  His  real 
disciples."  We  need  to  remember  that  the  masses  of 
North  Japan  in  a  religious  sense  have  not  come  up  even 
to  the  level  of  the  Old  Testament.     Ordinary   preach- 

221 


222  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

ing  goes  over  their  heads.  They  are  like  those  of  whom 
it  is  said  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  that  they  could 
not  eat  strong  meat,  but  had  to  be  fed  milk,  being  babes. 
So  when  we  speak  of  "evangelistic  work"  we  mean  really, 
the  work  of  educating  the  people  at  large  and  establishing 
the  Church  as  an  institution  that  will  continue  the  work 
of  education. 

Aiming  to  Establish  the  Church.  The  ultimate 
aim  of  all  missionary  work,  as  has  often  been  stated,  is 
to  build  up  a  "self-propagating,  self-supporting  and  self- 
governing  native  church."  The  Christian  worker  al- 
ways has  time  to  help  individuals  to  whom  he  is  led  by 
Providence,  in  imitation  of  Jesus  on  the  cross,  who  in 
the  midst  of  His  terrible  agony  ministered  to  those  who 
suffered  with  Him.  He  must  also  imitate  the  Master 
in  adopting  a  very  definite  policy,  in  order  that  when 
his  own  course  is  finished,  the  work  of  evangelizing  the 
world  may  go  on.  It  is  not  right  to  attempt  anything 
so  important  in  a  haphazard  manner. 

Insuring  Permanence.  It  is  always  the  best  test 
of  the  success  of  any  religious  worker  to  observe  what 
happens  when  he  has  to  quit.  The  field  in  North  Japan 
is  now  open  to  American  missionaries.  Probably  the 
task  to  which  we  are  applying  ourselves  will  not  be  finish- 
ed for  a  hundred  years,  but  we  must  continue  to  work 
while  it  is  day,  knowing  that  the  night  comes  wherein 
no  man  can  work.  The  desire  that  dominates  our  minds 
is  that  we  may  not  only  win  individuals,  but  also  so 
establish  the  native  church  that  evangelism  may  be 
carried  on  to  the  end,  even  though  we  might  not  be 
permitted   to   continue  our  present   activity. 

No  Churchless  Christianity.     There  are  many  Ja- 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  223 

panese  who  maintain  that  a  man  may  study  and  pray 
alone  and  be  a  perfect  Christian,  even  though  he  belongs 
to  no  church.  A  notable  champion  of  this  view  is  Mr. 
Uchimura,  editor  of  "Bible  Study."  But  such  a  religion 
as  this  cannot  last  long  in  a  country  like  Japan.  Unless 
the  believers  separate  themselves  clearly  from  unbeliev- 
ers, it  soon  begins  to  be  said  that  one  can  be  a  Shinto- 
ist  and  a  Buddhist  and  a  Christian  at  the  same  time,  and 
Christianity  fades  away  entirely. 

Seedtime  Before  Harvest.  Having  now  set  before 
our  minds  the  objective,  we  will  note  the  stages  by  which 
we  reach  it.  Our  Lord,  in  His  parables,  likened  the  work 
to  a  farmer  tilling  his  fields.  After  the  preparation  of 
the  soil  the  seed  is  sown.  There  are  various  kinds  of 
soils.  Some  respond  at  once,  others  need  careful  culti- 
vation. It  is  said  that  a  Belgian  peasant  can,  in  a  few 
years,  make  a  fertile  field  out  of  a  waste  of  sand.  Such 
work  must  sometimes  be  done  on  the  missionary  field. 

A  Providential  Call  to  Iwanuma.  Sometimes  the 
soil  is  rich  and  just  ready  for  the  right  seed.  In  the  early 
days  Rev.  Yoshida-Kametaro  was  passing  at  night 
through  a  street  in  Iwanuma  when  he  noticed  a  man 
going  by  with  a  bowed  head,  as  if  in  great  trouble.  The 
Spirit  urged  him  to  speak  to  the  man  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. He  inquired  who  he  was  and  learned  that  he 
was  a  young  physician,  assistant  to  his  father,  a  promi- 
nent doctor.  The  next  morning  he  called  to  see  him, 
found  the  office  full  of  patients,  went  around  to  a  private 
entrance  and  boldly  asked  for  an  immediate  interview, 
saying  that  he  had  an  important  matter  to  talk  over. 
He  had  hardly  begun  when  the  young  man  broke  down 
and  confessed  that  when  the  evangelist  saw  him  he  was 


224  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

returning  from  the  house  of  a  bad  woman,  who  had  so 
ensnared  him  that  he  had  just  about  made  up  his  mind  to 
kill  himself.     He  was  happily  saved. 

A  Providential  Call  to  Ononii.  The  way  in  which 
work  may  be  begun  in  a  new  place  is  illustrated  by  an 
experience  described  by  the  missionary  in  charge  of  Fuku- 
shima  Prefecture.  "One  night,  in  191 5,  I  was  preaching 
in  Miharu  with  Rev.  Yoshida-Kikutaro.  The  new  rail- 
road being  constructed  across  the  province  had  been  ex- 
tended from  Miharu  to  a  town  named  Ononii.  We  were 
naturally  curious  to  go  over  the  road  and  do  a  little 
prospecting.  So  we  decided  to  spend  the  next  morning 
visiting  Ononii.  As  we  walked  the  streets  of  the  town 
Mr.  Yoshida  expressed  to  me  a  strong  wish  to  begin  reg- 
ular work,  though  he  did  not  know  a  single  person  in  the 
town.  I  resisted  him  because  the  evangelistic  committee 
disapproves  of  starting  so  many  new  stations.  More- 
over, I  was  eager  to  return  home,  where  a  great  amount 
of  business  awaited  my  attention.  We  walked  out  to 
the  edge  of  the  town  and  Mr.  Yoshida  pressed  me  to  stay 
overnight  and  hold  a  meeting.  In  distress,  I  said  a 
little  prayer  asking  God  to  show  me  what  I  should  do. 
At  that  very  moment  a  Japanese  gentleman  came  up 
from  behind  and  surprised  us  with  an  invitation  to  come 
into  his  house  and  have  a  cup  of  tea.  He  said  to  Mr. 
Yoshida,  *I  know  you  well.  In  Taira  you  were  kind  to 
help  my  son  in  his  English.  My  family  is  now  living  in 
Miharu  and  my  children  go  to  your  Sunday  School.  I 
am  so  glad  to  see  you  here.  You  must  by  all  means  stay 
overnight  and  hold  a  meeting.*  He  owned  a  mimeo- 
graph, and  in  a  very  short  time  printed  one  hundred  in- 
vitations to  the  principal  men  of  the  town  to  come  to 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  225 

our  hotel  and  hear  a  lecture  on  relations  between  Japan 
and  America,  which  afforded  a  fine  opportunity  to  ex- 
plain to  them  the  nature  of  the  Christian  religion  and  the 
motive  of  the  Americans  in  sending  missionaries  to  Ja- 
pan. Afterwards  the  committee  agreed  to  have  Mr. 
Yoshida  visit  the  place  once  a  month,  and  in  the  year 
that  he  has  been  at  work  he  has  found  three  Christians 
and  five  inquirers.  The  average  attendance  at  preaching 
is  14  and  at  Sunday  School  SS-  Recently  in  a  meeting  of 
the  committee  at  Sendai,  a  motion  was  made  to  stop  his 
work  on  the  ground  that  Mr.  Yoshida  ought  to  give  his 
time  wholly  to  Koriyama,  but  when  it  was  shown  that 
he  was  reaching  so  many  people  at  an  expense  of  only 
^25.00  a  year,  the  motion  was  defeated." 

A  Ready  Welcome  Exceptional.  Thus  we  see  that 
at  one  of  the  oldest  stations  and  at  one  of  the  newest 
there  was  instant  response.  When  our  lamented  Evan- 
gelist Ichimura  was  in  America  some  years  ago,  he  at- 
tended a  missionary  meeting  and  heard  a  song  whose  re- 
frain was  "Pity  them."  **Whom  are  they  pitying?"  he 
asked.  "They  are  pitying  the  heathen,"  was  the  reply. 
"Let  them  pity  themselves,"  he  said;  "I  became  a  Chris- 
tian at  once  the  first  time  I  heard  the  Gospel.  The 
reason  why  I  was  a  heathen  so  long  was,  because  the 
Americans  do  not  do  their  full  duty.  Let  them  pity 
themselves."  But  such  cases  of  quick  success  are  after 
all  exceptional.  Let  us  now  consider  the  various  methods 
by  which  the  ordinary  hard  and  unpromising  soil  is  pre- 
pared and  the  seed  is  sown. 

Street  Preaching.  An  audience  can  be  gathered 
almost  anywhere,  especially  if  an  American  missionary 
is  present.     Preaching  on  the  street  is  now  permitted  by 


226  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

the  police  where  it  does  not  interfere  with  traffic.  A  meet- 
ing is  best  held  where  a  side  street  leads  off  from  the  busy 
main  street.  To  gather  a  crowd,  about  all  that  is  neces- 
sary is  to  sing  a  hymn.  It  is  not  every  one  who  can  hold 
the  attention  of  such  a  crowd,  but  a  worker  who  has  the 
gift  of  pungent  speech  can  do  a  great  deal  of  good  on  the 
street.  Such  work  is  frequently  done  in  connection  with 
a  fair  or  festival  that  draws  large  crowds.  For  this 
purpose  a  tent  may  be  used.  A  small  stage  with  an 
organ  to  lead  the  singing,  some  pictures,  texts,  copied 
in  large  letters,  and  a  generous  supply  of  tracts  constitute 
the  outfit. 

Use  of  Magic  Lantern.  In  breaking  up  the  fallow 
ground,  the  stereopticon  or  radiopticon  is  invaluable,  for 
the  reason  that  the  people  need  to  be  convinced  that  the 
stories  given  in  the  Bible  are  historical  facts.  Many  of 
the  tales  of  the  old  religion  are  myths  floating  hazily  in 
the  spiritual  atmosphere,  and  people  who  first  hear  Chris- 
tian stories  are  apt  to  imagine  that  these,  too,  are  fairy 
tales.  However,  after  the  preliminary  work  has  been 
done,  there  comes  a  time  when  pictures  are  more  of  a 
hindrance  than  a  help.  One  of  the  most  promising  of  our 
young  women-workers  was  converted  through  a  vision 
of  Christ  walking  upon  the  waters,  which,  no  doubt, 
symbolized  to  her  mind  her  own  danger  of  being  over- 
whelmed by  the  troubles  of  her  life.  The  suggestion  of 
the  vision  may  have  been  a  picture  that  she  had  once 
seen,  but  afterwards  when  she  was  given  a  rather  poor 
lithograph  showing  Christ  walking  upon  the  waters,  she 
was  much  disappointed,  saying  that  the  man  in  the  pic- 
ture did  not  look  so  glorious  as  the  Savior  that  she  had 
seen  in  her  dreams. 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  227 

Sowing  by  Motorcycle.  Rev.  H.  H.  Cook  of  Yama- 
gata,  who  died  of  overwork  in  the  spring  of  191 6,  used  a 
motorcycle,  with  a  side-car  for  his  helper  and  apparatus. 
He  used  in  turn  a  stereopticon,  a  violin,  a  phonograph — 
anything  to  interest  the  people.  He  travelled  in  spring 
and  fall  on  long  circuits  and  held  a  meeting  every  night 
in  a  different  place.  Arriving  at  a  strange  town  at  noon 
he  would  secure  a  meeting  place,  in  a  hotel,  a  private 
house,  a  theatre,  or  a  public  school  gymnasium.  He 
thus  describes  his  method  of  advertising  the  evening 
meeting:  ** After  dinner,  announcements  of  the  evening 
meeting  must  be  printed  with  the  duplicator  on  the  back 
of  from  two  to  five  hundred  tracts,  which  we  bring  into 
the  homes  of  the  people  a  little  later.  If  the  town  is  large 
and  the  meeting-place  of  sufficient  size,  the  autocycle 
is  again  called  upon  for  service.  A  large  poster  announc- 
ing the  meeting  is  tied  to  a  stick  held  up  by  the  person 
riding  in  the  side  car  as  we  go  puffing  through  the  streets. 
Thus  practically  everybody  in  town  is  informed  of  our 
work.  If  we  are  not  too  tired  by  this  time  we  stop  at 
several  street  corners,  hold  up  our  picture  roll  and  do 
some  street  preaching  for  an  hour  or  two."  The  next 
morning  he  would  preach  on  the  streets  of  various  vil- 
lages on  his  way  to  the  next  stopping  place. 

Prospecting  Itineraries.  The  senior  missionary  at 
Wakamatsu  makes  all  his  preparations  for  an  extended 
tour  by  correspondence.  When  it  is  desired  to  hold  a 
meeting  in  a  certain  town  a  letter  of  introduction  is  ob- 
tained to  some  leading  man  in  the  town,  who  is  then 
asked  to  gather  his  friends  at  a  suitable  place.  Usually 
if  there  is  no  one  else,  the  postmaster  or  one  of  the  teach- 
ers of  the  public  school  gladly  undertakes  to  make  the 


228  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

preparations;  for  the  Department  of  Communications 
has  been  favorable  to  Christian  work,  and  since  the 
Bureau  of  Religions  has  come  under  the  Department  of 
Education,  the  teachers  of  the  land  seem  more  and  more 
to  regard  themselves  as  natural  allies  of  religious  workers. 
The  next  time  preparations  are  made  to  visit  the  same 
town  the  workers  will  know  better  on  whom  they  can 
depend  to  gather  the  people.  In  planning  the  next  itin. 
erary  several  places  that  have  shown  no  interest  are  drop- 
ped and  in  their  stead  promising  new  places  are  put  on 
the  list.  In  such  ways  fairly  regular  work,  tours  being 
planned  twice  a  year  or  oftener,  can  be  done,  covering 
a  wide  stretch  of  territory  and  reaching  many  thousands 
of  the  people. 

Newspaper  Evangelism.  To  reach  those  who  live 
in  such  out-of-the-way  places  that  they  are  not  touched 
by  the  methods  described  above,  the  newspapers  are  used. 
This  method  was  first  tried  by  Mr.  Pieters,  missionary  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  America  at  Oita  in  Kyushu.  A 
serial  presentation  of  Christianity  is  printed  in  some  good 
newspaper  as  an  advertisement,  for  which  the  missionary 
pays.  To  every  article  is  added  an  offer  to  answer  in- 
quiries and  send  literature  to  those  who  will  reply  to  the 
advertisement. 

Results  at  Sendai.  This  kind  of  work  was  tried  a 
few  years  ago,  by  Dr.  Faust  and  Dr.  Seiple  of  North 
Japan  College.  They  thus  describe  their  experiences: 
'*We  wrote  a  number  of  articles  on  some  fundamental 
teachings  of  Christianity  and  had  those  articles  inserted 
in  a  Sendai  daily  paper  at  advertising  rates.  This 
daily  paper  is  read  by  possibly  50,000  people.  Esti- 
mating that  one  out  of  every  five  of  the  readers  read 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  229 

our  articles,  we  had  a  daily  class  of  10,000,  many  of 
whom  live  in  very  far-away  places  where  Christianity 
has  never  been  taught  before.  After  the  series  of 
articles  had  appeared  in  the  paper,  we  had  the  same 
material  published  in  pamphlet  form  under  the  title, 
*Some  Fundamentals  of  Christianity,'  and  then  inserted 
an  advertisement  in  the  paper  stating  that  we  would 
give  or  send  free  a  copy  of  the  pamphlet  to  all  persons 
desiring  to  have  one.  In  all,  about  300  persons  either 
came  to  our  houses  for  copies  or  wrote  to  us  for  some. 
Most  of  these  people  are  actual  inquirers." 

Some  Inquirers'  Doubts.  Some  of  the  questions 
that  the  many  letters  contained  were:  "If  evolution  is 
true  is  religion  possible?"  "Does  God  punish  us  for  our 
sins  by  sending  us  misfortunes  in  this  life?"  "Is  it  really 
true  that  God  cares  more  for  men  than  for  the  birds  of 
heaven?"  "Is  it  not  contrary  to  history  to  say  that  God 
revealed  Himself  in  Christ  alone?"  "If  God  really  be- 
came a  man,  is  it  not  true  then  that  there  was  no  God  at 
that  time?"  "Is  it  not  unreasonable  to  say  that  God  is 
the  Creator  and  Father  of  all  men,  but  that  He  will  save 
only  those  who  believe  in  Christ?" 

Newspaper  Work  in  Iwate.  Missionary  Kuyper  of 
Morioka  says:  "The  newspaper  work  has  helped  a  great 
deal  in  bringing  the  message  into  out-of-the-way  places. 
There  are  very  few  communes  {murd)  in  our  territory  from 
which  some  inquiry  has  not  come  for  Christian  books 
and  at  the  present  time  we  have  about  800  inquirers  on 
our  lists,  mostly  people  from  the  rural  towns  and  villages." 

Language  Classes.  There  are  various  indirect  ways 
of  awakening  interest.  Often  a  Japanese  who  really 
wants  to  study  our  religion  is  afraid  to  show  his  interest 


230  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

or  compromise  himself  in  the  eyes  of  his  associates.  For 
this  reason,  as  we  have  seen,  the  subject  of  the  first  ad- 
dress in  a  town  may  be  on  an  American  rather  than  on  a 
Christian  topic.  Many  can  be  reached  through  an 
English  Bible  Class.  The  missionary  who  wishes  to  do 
his  bit  for  the  Kingdom,  need  not  wait  until  he  has  master- 
ed the  Japanese  language.  It  is  quite  possible  to  work 
among  certain  classes  through  the  medium  of  English. 
"When  students  have  had  sufficient  preparation,  they  get 
more  adequate  impressions  through  the  English  than 
through  their  own  language.  On  the  other  hand,  of 
course,  if  one  wishes  to  have  a  real  heart-to-heart  talk  with 
a  Japanese,  there  is  nothing  to  equal  his  mother- tongue. 
Both  languages  are  useful  in  conveying  the  ideas  of  the 
Gospel.  Many  have  been  won  through  the  English 
Bible  classes.  Those  who  are  interested  may  be  organ- 
ized as  a  students*  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  put  to  work  to  win 
their  fellows.  In  this  manner  a  thriving  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has 
been  established  in  the  city  of  Wakamatsu,  and  many 
students  have  been  brought  into  the  Church.  Such 
work  enables  us  not  only  to  reach  the  students  in  the 
city,  but  opens  up  new  avenues  of  approach  to  the  rela- 
tives of  the  young  men  scattered  about  the  country,  who 
are  becoming  alive  to  the  serious  dangers  confronting 
students  in  the  cities.  The  missionaries  at  Yamagata 
have  recently  started  a  night  school  for  the  study  of 
English,  which  brings  them  into  intimate  touch  with  the 
brightest  and  most  ambitious  young  men  of  the  city. 
At  Sendai  and  at  Wakamatsu  the  German  language  also 
has  been  taught,  with  similar  results. 

Rural  Young  Men's  Associations.     In  every  com- 
mune, in  connection  with  the  public  school,  the  govern- 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  231 

ment  has  encouraged  the  organization  of  a  young  men's 
association  {seinendan)^  to  raise  the  moral  tone  and  culti- 
vate public  spirit.  In  too  many  cases  there  is  no  leader 
able  to  infuse  life  into  the  organization,  and  it  is  an  empty 
shell.  It  affords  a  rare  opportunity  for  the  evangelistic 
worker  who  knows  how  to  combine  in  an  address  Chris- 
tian doctrine  with  instruction  on  subjects  that  appeal  to 
country-folks.  Two  of  the  Japanese  evangelists,  Sugi- 
yama  of  Odaka  and  Miura  of  Sakata,  have  specialized 
along  this  line  and  are  in  constant  request  at  meetings  of 
the  associations.  Mr.  Sugiyama  was  a  graduate  expert 
in  agriculture  before  he  studied  theology  at  Sendai;  he 
has  written  several  popular  books  on  the  practical  prob- 
lems of  the  Japanese  peasantry,  and  at  the  same  time  he 
preaches  the  Gospel  with  great  conviction  and  power. 

Moral  Lectures.  There  is  a  great  demand  every- 
where for  edifying  moral  discourses.  A  missionary  or 
a  pastor  will  be  invited  day  after  day  to  address  scholars 
at  school,  teachers  at  an  institute,  railroad  men  at  the 
station,  employees  at  the  post  and  telegraph  office,  police- 
men at  headquarters,  farmers  at  fairs,  workmen  at  fac- 
tories and  so  on,  if  he  will  but  discuss  a  question  of  morals 
without  obtruding  his  religion  upon  the  audience.  Some- 
times it  is  wise  to  accept  such  an  invitation.  But  as  a 
rule  the  missionary  does  not  like  to  speak  in  a  public 
school  building,  because  the  policy  of  the  government  in 
granting  freedom  of  religious  belief  is  one  that  the  mis- 
sionary ought  to  respect.  While  the  school  officials  do 
not  object  to  preaching  Christianity  itself,  if  Christ  be 
not  named  in  the  address,  the  true  missionary  cannot 
preach  Christianity  without  naming  Christ.  On  the 
whole,  he  prefers  to  go  where  he  is  free  to  speak  of  the 
things  that  are  nearest  his  heart. 


232  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Railway  and  Post  Office  Work.  The  Department  of 
Communications,  managing  the  railways,  post  offices,  etc., 
has  distinctly  encouraged  religious,  and  particularly 
Christian,  work  among  its  employees.  There  is  a  Rail- 
way Mission  which  provides  unlimited  opportunities  for 
Christian  workers  among  this  class.  At  Wakamatsu 
Railway  Station,  within  two  or  three  years,  the  number  of 
believers  increased  from  none  to  fifteen.  Prof.  Kaji- 
wara,  in  connection  with  his  duties  as  teacher  in  North 
Japan  College,  has  been  engaged  as  a  regular  instructor 
in  morals  at  the  school  conducted  by  the  Department  of 
Communications  at  Sendai.  It  is  a  school  in  which  young 
men  are  trained  in  telegraphy,  accounting  and  other  lines 
of  work  managed  by  the  Post  Office  Department.  Prof. 
Kajiwara  uses  the  Bible  as  a  text-book  and  not  only 
teaches  the  young  men  the  principles  of  Christianity, 
but  follows  up  his  work  by  means  of  articles  in  a  period- 
ical that  goes  to  all  the  post  offices  in  the  North.  Conse- 
quently, the  travelling  evangelist  is  apt  to  find  friends  and 
helpers  at  each  post  office  on  his  route. 

Influence  of  the  Christmas  Festival.  It  may  sur- 
prise some  Americans  to  hear  how  popular  Christmas  has 
become  among  the  Japanese.  The  Christians  always 
make  much  of  Christmas.  It  is  celebrated  as  a  Chil- 
dren's Festival.  The  children  of  the  Sunday  School  are 
trained  to  sing  songs  and  say  recitations,  describing  the 
good  that  has  been  done  the  world  through  the  coming  of 
Christ.  The  place  of  meeting  is  gorgeously  decorated 
and  a  few  cakes  are  usually  distributed  to  all  who  come. 
At  a  country  church  the  celebration  may  begin  at  six 
o'clock  and  last  until  very  late  in  the  evening.  The  place 
of  meeting  is  crowded  to  its  capacity.     The  expenses  are 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  233 

met  by  contributions  not  only  from  Christians,  but  from 
the  people  of  the  town  generally.  The  reason  for  this 
is  that  in  Japanese  religions  there  is  usually  an  annual 
festival  and  Christmas  is  regarded  as  the  Christian  festival. 
There  are  many  people  in  the  town  who  feel  that  they 
dare  not  identify  themselves  with  the  Christians,  but  are 
in  sympathy  and  make  a  handsome  contribution  for  the 
celebration  of  Christmas.  There  are  hundreds  who  owe 
all  the  knowledge  they  have  of  our  religion  to  what  they 
learn  at  the  Christmas  celebration. 

Meetings  in  the  Theatre.  In  places  where  a  small 
congregation  exists  but  is  not  well  known  to  the  com 
munity,  it  is  customary  once  or  twice  a  year  to  hold  a 
"great  lecture  meeting."  Printed  handbills  are  distrib- 
uted with  the  newspapers,  and  posters  are  displayed  in 
all  parts  of  the  town.  Usually  such  a  meeting  is  held 
in  a  theatre.  A  Japanese  theatre  is  a  barn-like  structure 
with  a  peculiarly  constructed  stage  at  one  end.  The 
stage  is  round  and  revolves  on  a  central  pivot.  The 
scenery  is  set  up  on  one  half  while  the  play  goes  on  at  the 
other  side,  and  then  the  whole  is  revolved  when  the 
scene  changes.  The  seats  of  the  audience  are  large 
boxes  on  the  ground  with  a  little  straw  mat  on  the  bot- 
tom on  which  the  spectators  and  auditors  squat,  eat, 
drink  and  smoke  by  the  hour.  On  the  partitions  be- 
tween the  boxes  are  boards  over  which  peddlers  go  back 
and  forth  selling  all  sorts  of  refreshments.  Such  a  place 
is  disorderly  and  not  well  adapted  to  a  religious  meeting. 
But  often  when  a  large  audience  is  to  be  accommodated, 
the  only  available  place  is  the  theatre.  There  are  other 
large  houses  in  town,  but  those  are  often  disreputable 
restaurants  or  worse. 


234  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Use  of  Tracts  and  Periodicals.  The  methods  des- 
cribed above  accomplish  little  more  than  advertising. 
By  means  of  them  promising  inquirers  are  found.  The 
careful  missionary  has  a  card-catalogue  and  knows 
where  every  Christian  or  inquirer  is  located  in  his  terri- 
tory. Follow-up  work  is  done.  At  times  when  the  people 
have  leisure  and  can  read,  literature  is  sent  out  by  mail. 
The  best  time  for  sending  tracts  in  the  North  is  at  the 
beginning  of  the  long  winter  season.  When  people  are 
kept  at  home  by  the  snow  they  eagerly  accept  anything 
to  read.  There  are  periodical  publications.  The  pro- 
fessors of  North  Japan  College  edit  a  monthly  called 
"Tohoku  Church  Times,'*  but  this  is  not  written  in  pop- 
ular style  and  is  enjoyed  most  by  the  pastors  and  more 
intelligent  Christians.  Rev.  H.  H.  Cook  started  a  month- 
ly entitled  "Light  of  Ryou"  (Ryou-no-Hikari — Ryou 
being  the  old  name  for  Yamagata  and  Akita  Prefectures), 
which  he  distributed  to  the  extent  of  1500  copies,  and  this 
publication  has  been  continued  by  the  Mission  since  his 
death.  At  Wakamatsu  the  "Aizu  Pulpit"  (Aizu  Kyodan) 
is  published. 

Christian  Books.  The  Mission  also  has  two  stores 
at  which  Bibles,  hymn-books  and  other  Christian  publi- 
cations are  sold.  One  is  in  Sendai  and  is  now  almost 
self-supporting.  The  other  is  at  Wakamatsu.  Ordinary 
book-sellers  are  willing  to  carry  some  Christian  literature, 
but  there  is  not  much  money  in  it  for  them  and  it  is  nec- 
essary to  subsidize  the  business  more  or  less,  in  order  to 
secure  wide  distribution.  Japanese  Bibles  are  obtained 
from  the  Branch  of  the  American  Bible  Society  at  Yo- 
kohama. A  Japanese  Congregationalist,  Mr.  Fukunaga, 
has  built  up  a  large  and  successful  publishing  house  in 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  235 

Tokyo.  There  is  also  a  Methodist  PubHshing  House  in 
that  city.  Practically  all  the  missions  are  now  uniting 
in  the  work  of  the  Christian  Literature  Society  of  Japan, 
which  was  organized  about  five  years  ago  and  has  already 
done  some  fine  work.  The  Tohoku  Mission  contributes 
to  it  $600  a  year.  What  this  Society  needs  most  is  funds 
to  enable  it  to  obtain  the  services  of  the  most  capable  and, 
therefore,  the  busiest  Japanese  Christian  leaders,  taking 
them  for  a  while  away  from  their  regular  work  and  giving 
them  opportunity  to  write  the  books  that  are  needed. 
Hitherto  too  many  of  the  Christian  publications  issued 
in  the  Japanese  language  have  been  translations  from 
the  English. 

A  Regular  Preaching  Place.  When  the  Evangel- 
istic Committee  has  learned  through  all  the  preliminary 
work  that  it  is  feasible  to  build  up  a  congregation  of 
Christians  at  a  certain  place,  arrangements  are  made  to 
have  a  local  evangelist  visit  the  place  and  hold  regular 
services.  Experience  has  taught  us  to  be  conservative 
in  opening  new  preaching  places,  as  they  are  called,  and 
we  usually  wait  until  we  have  been  importuned  for  some 
time  to  do  so.  Gardeners  know  that  it  is  important  that 
the  growth  of  a  plant  should  not  be  checked,  or  it  may  be 
permanently  stunted  and  never  amount  to  anything.  So 
a  mission  needs  to  guard  its  prestige  and  give  the  people 
generally  the  assurance  that  when  the  work  is  once  begun, 
it  will  be  pushed  to. the  end.  Indeed,  honor  binds  us  not 
to  desert  people  who  have  broken  away  from  former 
religious  associates  and  identified  themselves  with  the 
Christian  Church.  Many  of  them  are  weak  and  need 
careful  nurture.  We  hold  back  for  a  long  time,  until  we 
are  assured  that  the  people  very  much  want  a  church,  so 
much  so  that  they  are  willing  to  make  sacrifices  for  it. 


236  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

The  Local  Evangelist.  An  evangelist  is  a  Japanese 
vi^orker  who  has  charge  of  one  or  more  preaching  places. 
He  is  usually  a  graduate  of  a  theological  seminary.  There 
are,  however,  exceptional  cases  of  men  who  have  had 
scarcely  any  educational  advantages  and  yet  succeed  by 
force  of  character.  Such  a  man  is  Mr.  Akiho,  originally 
a  Samurai  of  Tsurugaoka,  who  has  built  up  a  number  of 
congregations,  and  whose  sons  and  daughters,  servants  of 
the  Kingdom,  are  following  in  his  footsteps.  His  salary 
today  is  but  ^17.50  a  month,  and  that  is  about  the  av- 
erage for  an  evangelist.  The  lowest  is  $12.50,  the  highest 
is  $25.  The  evangelist  is  granted  allowances  for  rent  and 
travel  and  sometimes  for  sundries,  but  receives  no  fees 
or  perquisites  from  those  to  whom  he  ministers.  From 
the  very  beginning  the  Christians  connected  with  the 
preaching-places  are  expected  to  pay  a  portion,  however 
small,  toward  his  regular  salary.  Once  a  year,  usually 
in  connection  with  the  meeting  of  Classis,  all  the  evangel- 
ists of  the  Tohoku  Mission  hold  a  conference,  paying  all 
the  expenses  themselves,  with  the  aid  of  a  small  appro- 
priation from  the  evangelistic  committee. 

The  Bible  Woman.  At  many  places  the  evangelists 
are  assisted  by  so-called  Bible  Women.  It  would  per- 
haps be  better  to  call  them  mission-women.  These  are 
graduates  of  the  Girls*  School  who  have  had  a  year  or 
two  of  special  training  in  the  Bible,  music  and  other  sub- 
jects, to  qualify  them  to  teach  women  and  children  and 
help  in  the  services  of  the  church.  Among  the  Bible 
women  are  some  graduates  of  the  school  of  the  Union 
Mission  at  Yokohama,  which  has  a  three  years'  course 
and  sends  out  more  mature  workers  than  our  Girls' 
School  can.     These  young  women  are  subject  to  constant 


^^^<L^i^^m,^-h^      m 

W^M 

fA 

M- 

^^•^^■*%     a 

«  :s 

i^  wk  *'«^r^p^ 

'^'f 

#    *   %    a    ■%    ;f  .  f  iH 

Z  '  /  4% 

*s"«'f*^'«^,*   §^ 

Group  of  Pastors  and  Evangelists 


Group  ot  Bible  Women 


Church  and  Congregatiun,  lizaka 
(A  property  good  for  ten  years,  that  cost  S500.) 


A   Homeless   Congregation,    Kitakata 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  237 

criticism,  whatever  they  do.  According  to  the  Japanese 
code  they  are  expected  to  be  entirely  subservient  to  the 
men,  to  take  orders  from  superiors,  and  have  no  initiative. 
On  the  other  hand  they  cannot  be  efficient  evangelistic 
workers  unless  they  break  the  code.  Then  they  are  in 
danger  of  becoming  unconventional  in  all  their  ways,  and, 
being  young,  are  liable  to  make  serious  blunders.  The 
policy  of  the  Mission  is  to  ask  the  pastor's  family  or  some 
other  Christian  family  to  give  them  needed  protection 
and  chaperonage.  Though  they  are  much  criticised, 
their  services  are  so  highly  valued  that  the  Mission  is 
not  able  to  respond  to  half  of  the  urgent  calls  that  come 
for  such  workers.  The  salary  of  a  woman  worker  is 
from  $6  to  $g  a  month,  besides  allowances  for  rent  and 
travel.  About  thirty  are  employed  in  the  Tohoku  Mis- 
sion. 

Need  of  a  Chapel.  In  winning  the  confidence  of  the 
community  and  building  up  the  church  on  a  sound  basis, 
nothing  is  more  important  than  to  have  a  suitable  chapel. 
People  who  break  with  their  old  religion  need  to  be  as- 
sured that  the  Christian  Church  has  come  to  stay.  When 
our  meetings  are  held  in  one  rented  house  today  and  an- 
other tomorrow,  those  whose  faith  is  not  yet  strong  are 
discouraged.  Especially  in  the  ordinary  county  town 
will  the  existence  of  a  chapel  make  all  the  difference  be- 
tween success  and  failure  in  the  work. 

Advantages  of  the  Foreign  Style  of  Building.  In 
regard  to  the  chapel  the  question  naturally  arises  whether 
it  should  be  in  Japanese  style  or  more  or  less  like  that 
which  prevails  in  other  countries.  In  the  native  style 
there  is  no  furniture,  only  a  soft  mat  on  the  floor  on  which 
people  squat  in  a  more  or  less  disorderly  manner.     Not 


238  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

only  is  there  difficulty  in  having  everything  done  decently 
and  in  order,  but  modern  Japanese  men,  who  usually 
dress  in  foreign  style  to  go  out,  are  made  uncomfortable 
in  places  where  they  have  to  sit  in  the  Japanese  manner. 
The  public  schools  are  provided  with  benches  and  desks 
for  their  scholars,  and  in  that  way  men  become  accustomed 
to  our  way  of  sitting,  and  are  disinclined  to  observe  the 
older  custom.  It  must  be  remembered  that  in  the  priv- 
acy of  the  home,  one  may  sprawl  on  the  floor  in  an  un- 
dignified way,  but  in  a  public  assembly,  one  is  expected 
to  maintain  decorum.  Women  are  more  accustomed  to 
sitting  in  the  proper  manner  at  home,  and  indeed,  many 
women  are  uncomfortable  on  a  bench  or  pew,  and  in  a 
church  where  pews  are  provided  may  be  found  taking 
their  feet  up  from  the  floor  and  tucking  them  behind  on 
the  seat;  but  as  a  rule,  men  dislike  public  assemblies 
where  they  have  to  sit  on  the  floor.  There  is  one  other 
reason  in  favor  of  the  foreign  style.  Officials  and  pro- 
fessional men  such  as  physicians  and  lawyers,  usually 
have  an  office  fitted  with  a  hard  floor,  chairs  and  tables, 
for  the  reason  that  in  a  matted  room  their  patients  and 
clients  feel  that  they  must  observe  the  old  etiquette,  and 
so  waste  a  great  deal  of  time,  while  in  the  modern  office 
they  quickly  get  down  to  business,  as  Americans  do. 
So  the  general  tendency  among  the  Christians  is  to  build 
churches  with  pews,  in  our  style.  This  style  helps  them 
to  realize  that  the  Christian  religion  is  different  from  that 
to  which  they  have  been  accustomed.  The  foreign  style 
makes  for  order,  comfort,  and  efficiency.  New  wine 
should  be  kept  in  new  bottles.  But  in  one  respect  the 
Japanese  custom  must  be  observed;  the  vestibule  should 
be  roomy  with  rows  upon  rows  of  shelves  for  the  shoes 
and  clogs. 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  239 

Building  for  Children  and  Youth.  In  some  places 
where  chapels  have  been  built  the  mistake  has  been  made 
of  building  for  the  adult  worshippers,  rather  than  for  the 
children.  At  Wakamatsu,  a  beautiful  chapel  was  erected 
in  191 1.  The  first  Sunday  that  it  was  used  the  children 
of  the  Sunday  School  were  too  many  for  the  pews.  The 
furniture  in  the  chancel  had  to  be  removed  and  the  car- 
pet in  it  was  covered  by  the  tots  of  the  primary  depart- 
ment. Even  today  after  six  years  the  number  of  wor- 
shippers at  a  regular  church  service  does  not  exceed  40. 
It  might  have  been  better  to  build  a  small  place  of  wor- 
ship for  the  adults  and  give  the  larger  part  of  the  chapel 
to  the  Sunday  School,  building  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
it  suitable  for  the  purpose.  It  is  quite  certain  that  when 
the  congregation  becomes  so  strong  that  the  place  of 
worship,  accommodating  only  40  or  50  persons  for  the 
regular  Sunday  morning  services,  becomes  too  small, 
the  Christians  will  manage  to  provide  a  more  commodious 
building. 

Need  of  a  Cemetery.  We  must  look  at  people  as 
they  are,  whether  in  Japan  or  in  America.  It  is  not  strange 
that  the  cemetery,  too,  has  much  to  do  with  the  pro- 
gress of  a  church.  The  only  cemeteries  in  a  Japanese 
town  are  controlled  by  the  Buddhist  priests.  So  it  is  some- 
times asked,  "If  you  become  a  Christian,  where  will  you 
be  buried  when  you  die?"  So  long  as  a  church  has  no 
cemetery  of  its  own,  people  who  belong  to  the  local  com- 
munity are  naturally  slow  to  join  the  church.  The  First 
Reformed  Church  (Nibancho)  in  Sendai  attended  to  this 
matter  at  the  very  beginning  of  its  history,  under  Mr. 
Oshikawa,  and  obtained  a  concession  from  a  Buddhist 
temple  on  North  Mountain  (Kitayama),  which  is  today 


240  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

a  beautiful  Christian  cemetery,  the  last  resting-place  of 
Mrs.  Faust,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  DeForest,  Mr.  Cook  and  other 
missionaries  who  have  given  their  lives  to  Tohoku.  Pro- 
viding a  cemetery  is  a  matter  which  the  Japanese  Chris- 
tians must  manage  for  themselves.  It  is  a  pity  the  good 
example  set  by  Mr.  Oshikawa  has  not  been  imitated 
more  widely. 

The  Sunday  School.  Where  the  establishment  of  a 
church  is  contemplated,  the  first  work  to  be  undertaken 
is  that  of  the  Sunday  School.  Indeed,  it  may  be  said 
that  the  future  of  the  church  is  not  secure  until  there  are 
in  it  members  who  have  been  brought  up  in  the  knowledge 
of  the  Lord  from  their  childhood.  It  is  remarkably 
easy  to  gather  a  crowd  of  children  anywhere  at  a  time 
when  the  public  school  is  not  in  session.  When  in  1916 
Rev.  J.  G.  Rupp  visited  the  little  town  of  Namie,  he  was 
greatly  amused  and  at  the  same  time  deeply  impressed  by 
the  way  in  which  the  children  were  rounded  up.  A  theatre 
had  been  rented  for  the  evening  and  there  were  several 
hours  to  spare  before  the  older  people  could  be  expected. 
So  the  evangelist  called  a  public  messenger,  a  man  dressed 
in  fiery  red  clothes,  like  a  clown,  gave  him  a  nickel 
and  asked  him  to  call  the  children  to  the  theatre.  The 
messenger  knew  their  playgrounds  and  he  brought  a  great 
crowd  of  them  within  a  few  minutes.  Children  every- 
where gladly  come  to  Sunday  School.  If  we  had  the  teach- 
ing staff  required  we  could  easily  gather  them  in  by  hun- 
dreds of  thousands.  There  is  where  the  difficulty  lies: 
we  have  not  the  teachers.  Often  the  evangelist  is  the 
only  teacher  available,  and  sometimes  he  does  not  know 
how  to  handle  the  children.  Exceptionally  fortunate  is 
the  case  when  both  the  evangelist  and  his  wife  can  do 
this  kind  of  work. 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  241 

Need  of  Sunday  School  Experts.  Principal  Faust 
of  the  Girls'  School,  who  has  written  in  Japanese  a  valu- 
able book  on  the  subject,  and  has  given  much  thought 
to  the  problem  of  the  Sunday  School,  says:  "By  all 
means,  the  Mission  ought  to  have  one  man  missionary,  a 
Sunday  School  specialist,  who  would  devote  his  entire 
time  to  this  work.  Such  a  man  would  co-operate  with 
one  or  two  Japanese  workers  along  the  same  line.  They 
would  have  to  supply  inspiration  to  the  local  workers, 
hold  local  institutes  from  time  to  time  and  place  to  place; 
organize  new  Sunday  Schools  under  the  direction  of  the 
proper  Church  authorities;  encourage  the  starting  of 
teacher-training  classes  and  inspire  the  missionary  spirit 
in   the   Sunday   Schools." 

The  Young  People's  Society.  It  is  the  more  nec- 
essary to  take  good  care  of  the  Sunday  School,  because  in 
Japan  when  the  scholars  reach  a  certain  age,  and  enter 
middle  school  or  high  school  they  are  so  apt  to  quit  auto- 
matically, as  though  the  Sunday  School  were  for  children 
only.  It  is  good  to  have  a  ceremony  of  promotion  at 
that  time  and  organize  a  young  men's  society  and  a  young 
women's  society.  There  are  now  such  societies  at  about 
twenty  stations  in  the  Tohoku  Mission.  It  is,  of  course, 
utterly  out  of  the  question  in  Japan  to  combine  the  two 
sexes  in  such  work. 

The  Lord's  Day.  While  school  children  have  a  holi- 
day on  Sunday  and  the  official  classes  also  observe  the 
day,  the  common  people  work  on  that  day  as  on  any 
other.  So  it  can  be  imagined  how  difficult  it  is  to  secure 
a  good  attendance  at  morning  worship  on  Sunday.  For 
many  people  Sunday  is  the  busiest  day  in  the  week. 
Many  a  Christian  wife  is  hindered  from  going  to  church 


242  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

because  Sunday  is  the  day  when  most  callers  come  to  the 
house,  and  the  husband  demands  her  presence  at  home. 
For  every  ten  children  that  go  to  Sunday  School,  there 
are  only  three  adults  that  go  to  the  regular  services  of 
the  church. 

Baptism   of   Infants.     Comparatively    few   children 
are  baptized,  because  we  baptize  a  child  only  when  as- 
surance can  be  given  that  it  will  be  taught  and  trained  in 
the   Christian  way.     In  Japan  grandparents  and  other 
/  relatives  have  such   authority  over   a  child   that   cases 
\  when  it  is  right  to  baptize  it  are  not  very  numerous. 

Campaign  for  New  Members.  Members  added  to 
the  churches  are  usually  adults  won  by  quiet  personal 
work,  or  by  a  public  evangelistic  campaign.  Mention 
has  been  made  of  the  work  of  Mr.  Kanamori  of  the  Sal- 
vation Army,  who  has  had  more  success  than  any  other 
campaigner  in  the  North.  He  sees  to  it  that  the  people 
are  assembled  in  the  church  who  are  more  or  less  familiar 
with  the  principles  of  Christianity.  Many  workers  are 
scattered  about  the  audience,  each  provided  with  "de- 
cision cards"  and  pencils.  Mr.  Kanamori,  after  spending 
the  day  alone  in  prayer,  preaches  a  sermon  on  the  way  of 
salvation,  and  when  he  feels  that  the  audience  is  moved, 
reads  the  "decision  card"  and  urges  his  hearers  to  sign  it. 
The  workers  in  the  audience  do  the  rest.  At  Wakamatsu, 
in  October,  1916,  in  two  days'  time,  120  persons  were  led 
by  him  to  decide  to  unite  with  the  Reformed  Church. 
The  pastor  having  been  drafted  into  the  army,  it  was 
impossible  to  give  immediate  and  adequate  attention  to 
all  these  applicants,  but  many  of  them  have  been  prepared 
for  baptism. 
Admission  of  New  Members.     One  of  the  greatest 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  243 

mistakes  a  worker  can  make  is  to  be  too  quick  to  yield 
to  requests  for  baptism.  In  the  early  days  (i 880-1 890), 
many  were  baptized  whom  the  Church  was  not  able  to 
assimilate,  and  experience  has  shown  that  it  is  far  easier 
to  build  up  a  congregation  in  a  community  where  Chris- 
tianity is  a  new  thing  than  where  nominal  Christians  have, 
by  their  unworthy  lives,  produced  a  false  impression  as 
to  what  Christianity  stands  for.  So  much  depends  on 
the  character  of  the  converts.  Missionaries  of  some  de- 
nominations think  that  it  is  a  sin  to  refuse  baptism  to 
anyone  who  asks  for  it.  They  say  that  people  ought 
to  be  baptized  first  and  then  taught,  according  to  Matthew 
xxviii:  19-20.  Others  keep  converts  waiting  too  long, 
as  if  they  had  to  be  perfect  in  character  before  they  could 
be  received  into  the  Church.  The  right  course  avoids 
both  extremes,  A  convert  should  be  baptized  when  it 
is  evident  that  he  seeks  baptism  intelligently,  and  from 
the  right  motive. 

A  Mission  Church.  When  a  group  of  Christians  has 
reached  a  certain  standard  of  membership  and  contri- 
butions, namely,  fifteen  members  contributing  thirty 
dollars  a  year,  it  is  recognized  by  the  Classis  as  a  mission 
church.  So  long  as  it  is  dependent  for  finanical  aid  upon 
the  Mission,  it  is  not  allowed  to  have  any  voice  in  con- 
trolling the  affairs  of  the  Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai.  But 
when  it  supports  its  own  pastor  it  is  recognized  as  having 
full  rights  in  the  Church  as  a  whole,  has  a  regular  con- 
sistory, and  may  send  a  delegate  elder  to  Classis  an 
Synod. 

A  Self-Supporting  Church.  The  church  that  pays 
its  pastor's  salary  is  called  self-supporting.  In  some  cases 
the  Mission  helps  such  a  church  by  providing  an  assistant 


244  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

to  the  pastor,  such  as  a  Bible  woman.  The  mistake  has 
been  made  in  the  past  of  leaving  a  church  to  struggle  alone 
after  it  once  became  independent.  It  must  be  remember- 
ed that  the  Mission,  whose  aim  it  is  to  reach  the  unevan- 
gelized  population,  may  work  to  better  advantage  through 
an  independent  native  church  than  in  a  separate  way. 
That  is,  the  Mission  and  the  native  church  ought  to  work 
together  to  save  those  who  are  outside.  On  account  of 
hard  times  there  have  been  few  successful  self-supporting 
churches  in  Tohoku,  hitherto.  Of  the  four  Reformed 
churches  in  Sendai,  two  have  reached  that  stage;  so  have 
the  churches  at  Iwanuma  and  Fukushima. 

Transfer  of  Property  to  a  Native  Church.  Ex- 
perience has  taught  us  that  a  church  that  has  just  become 
self-supporting  may  not  be  strong  enough  to  care  properly 
for  a  church  building.  If  through  the  neglect  of  the 
stitch  in  time  that  saves  nine,  the  building  gets  into  bad 
repair,  or  if  through  neglect  of  fire-insurance,  it  becomes  a 
total  loss,  the  Mission  must  go  to  the  rescue.  So  it  has 
seemed  wisest  to  take  care  of  the  building  and  give  it 
rent  free  to  the  congregation  during  the  first  years  of  its 
independence.  As  it  becomes  stronger,  however,  and 
able  to  take  care  of  the  property,  it  is  provided  that  the 
congregation,  on  forming  a  legal  corporation,  and  after 
it  has  been  independent  for  two  years,  may  take  over  the 
title  whenever  it  desires  to  do  so. 

The  Mission  and  the  Japanese  Church  as  a  Whole. 
Now  we  may  consider  two  great  problems  that  have  to 
do  with  the  success  of  the  evangelistic  work.  The  first 
is  the  problem  of  the  Relation  of  the  Mission  to  the  Na- 
tive Church.  The  second  is  the  Problem  of  the  County 
Town.     In  solving  the  former  problem,  the  first  element 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  245 

in  a  wise  method  is  to  have  institutions  where  Japanese 
leaders  can  be  thoroughly  trained.  We  have  considered 
this  in  the  previous  chapter.  The  second  element  is  to 
yield  to  Japanese  who  have  been  trained,  such  privileges 
and  opportunities  as  will  encourage  them  to  make  the 
most  of  their  talents.  Under  the  guidance  of  God,  the 
Tohoku  Mission  has  from  the  first  been  led  to  adopt  a 
policy  that  experience  has  proved  to  be  wise. 

Contrast  With  China.  In  191 6,  Dr.  William  Adams 
Brown,  Professor  of  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New 
York,  visited  Japan  and  China.  In  his  report  sub- 
mitted to  the  authorities  of  the  institution  that  sent 
him,  Professor  Brown  notes  the  very  great  difference 
between  the  Church  of  Japan  and  the  Church  of  China. 
He  says:  "When  one  remembers  how  long  Protestant 
missions  have  been  at  work  in  China,  how  many  and  able 
the  missionaries,  how  great  the  influence  of  Christianity 
upon  many  phases  of  Chinese  thought  and  life,  it  is  dis- 
couraging to  find  the  Chinese  Church  still  so  weak,  and 
to  see  the  contrast  between  it  and  the  Japanese  Church  in 
independence  and  efliciency.  The  cause  of  this  state  of 
things  is  complex.  Partly  it  is  due  to  the  Chinese  char- 
acter, which  has  been  accustomed  for  generations  to  ac- 
cept without  question  the  leadership  of  superiors;  but  in 
part  also  it  is  the  result  of  a  mistaken  poHcy  on  the  part 
of  the  missionaries.  Until  recently,  they  have  kept  con- 
trol of  all  matters  in  their  own  hands,  and  only  within 
the  last  few  years  have  they  come  to  realize  the  importance 
of  divesting  themselves  of  some  part  at  least  of  the  author- 
ity which  is  now  theirs." 

Strength  of  Native  Leadership  in  Japan.  The 
reason  why  the  Japanese  Church  now  leads  the  Churches 


246  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

of  all  the  missionary  fields  of  the  world  in  the  matter  of 
native  leadership  is,  of  course,  due  primarily  to  the  spirit 
of  the  Japanese  people  themselves.  The  history  of  Japan 
from  the  time  when  the  Roman  Catholics  almost  succeed- 
ed in  winning  the  country,  has  been  such  as  to  make  the 
Japanese  Christians  very  jealous  of  their  independence, 
and  afraid  of  acquiring  the  reputation  of  being  subservient 
to  foreigners.  Another  reason  is  the  fact  that  in  the  early 
days  an  American  missionary  was  not  allowed  to  reside 
in  a  place  like  Sendai,  except  in  the  capacity  of  an  employee 
of  a  Japanese  concern.  Still  another  reason  is  the  ex- 
ceptional difficulty. of  the  task.  In  Japan  we  have  to 
deal  with  a  people  that  developed  a  peculiar  civilization 
in  isolation.  The  Japanese  language  was  an  almost 
unsurmountable  obstacle  to  the  early  missionaries,  who 
had  no  dictionary  nor  grammar  of  the  conversational 
language,  and  this  made  them  very  dependent  upon  their 
helpers.  Even  now,  missionaries  who  have  entirely 
mastered  the  language  need  to  be  constantly  in  consulta- 
tion with  their  advisers,  because  the  ideas  of  the  Japanese 
are  so  different  from  ours  that  it  is  extremely  difficult 
for  Americans  to  avoid  unnecessarily  offending  them. 
A  fourth  reason  why  the  native  leader  has  been  so  highly 
developed  is  the  wisdom  of  some  influential  early  mission- 
aries who  had  the  grace  to  recognize  the  ability  of  the 
Japanese  and  to  yield  to  them  due  deference.  Not  all 
did  so,  but  those  that  did  were  the  ones  that  had  the  great- 
est success. 

Attitude  of  the  Successful  Missionary.  One  of 
our  wise  older  missionaries  said  to  a  young  colleague, — 
"If  you  want  to  have  any  authority  among  the  Japanese 
make  up  your  mind  not  to  claim  any.     If  you  insist  on 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  247 

having  authority,  you  may  have  it,  but  you  will  have  j 
nothing  else."     The  missionaries  in  Japan  have  had  a  \ 
very  hard  time  and  have  been  much  misunderstood  by  j 
those  working  in  China  and  other  lands  where  conditions  i 
are  different,  but  **it  is  good  for  a  man  that  he  bear  the 
yoke  in  his  youth."     As  is  generally  the  case,  those  who 
have  a  hard  time  find  in  the  end  that  the  experience  is 
good  for  them. 

Plan  of  Co-operation.  In  1909  the  Tohoku  Mission 
entered  into  an  arrangement,  according  to  which  the 
evangelistic  work  should  be  administered  by  a  joint- 
committee  composed  of  equal  numbers  of  American 
missionaries  and  representatives  of  the  Nihon  Kirisuto 
Kyokwai.  There  is  a  general  committee  which  has  the 
right  to  say  at  what  places  and  by  what  men  work  shall  be 
undertaken  and  what  the  scale  of  appropriations  shall  be. 
This  committee  consists  of  four  of  our  missionaries,  one 
representative  of  the  General  Board  (Somukyoku)  of  the 
Nihon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai,  one  representative  of  Tokyo 
Classis,  and  two  representatives  of  Miyagi  Classis,  the 
churches  being  under  the  jurisdiction  of  these  two  Classes. 
For  the  management  in  detail,  local  committees  are 
appointed.  The  work  in  the  North  is  managed  by  a 
joint  committee  in  which  the  Japanese  members  are 
two  pastors  of  self-supporting  churches,  a  professor  of 
theology,  and  one  elder.  The  present  annual  appro- 
priations for  the  work  of  the  Tohoku  Mission  are: 

Northern  Field ^12^4.00 

Tokyo  Field 2,250 

Bible  Women 3,ooo 

Kindergartens ^,362 

Total ^19,012 


248  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

The  Missionary  in  Charge.  The  field  as  a  whole  is 
divided  into  sections,  to  each  of  which  a  missionary  is 
assigned.  During  recent  years  Dr.  Moore  has  been  in 
charge  of  the  correspondence  and  business  connected 
with  the  churches  in  Miyagi  Prefecture;  Dr.  Noss  has 
been  missionary-in-charge  of  Fukushima  Prefecture,  and 
Mr.  Kriete  has  been  responsible  for  the  Prefectures  of 
Yamagata  and  Akita.  Quite  recently  Mr.  Ankeney  has 
been  appointed  to  Akita  Prefecture  and  Mr.  Hoekje 
(loaned  by  the  Mission  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Amer- 
ica) to  Iwate  and  Aomori  Prefectures. 

Monthly  Reports.  The  local  evangelistic  worker 
is  required  to  submit  to  the  missionary-in-charge  monthly 
reports  in  duplicate,  showing  what  meetings  have  been 
held,  what  members  have  been  added,  what  visiting  has 
been  done,  what  money  has  been  contributed,  etc.  The 
missionary-in-charge  keeps  one  copy  for  the  archives  of 
the  Mission,  and  sends  the  other  to  the  Japanese  pastor 
who  is  the  Superintendent  of  the  district.  For  we  must 
remember  that  the  work  is  under  the  control  of  the  Jap- 
anese Classis.  Technically,  the  American  missionary 
has  no  right  to  receive  a  person  into  the  church  by  bap- 
tism or  to  discipline  him.  This  authority  is  vested, 
where  the  church  is  not  yet  regularly  organized,  and  there 
are  no  elders,  in  the  Superintendent  appointed  by  the 
Classis.  Practically,  the  missionary  or  native  minister 
who  baptizes  or  disciplines  any  one  consults  the  leading 
members  of  the  congregation,  and  the  action  is  legalized 
when  it  is  reported  to  the  Japanese  Superintendent. 

Contributions  by  Japanese.  Just  before  the  end 
of  the  year,  blanks  are  sent  out  to  the  various  local  con- 
gregations, who  are  asked  to  prepare  their  estimates  for 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  249 

the  new  year,  stating  what  their  needs  will  be  for  pastor's 
salary,  rent,  light,  fuel,  Sunday  School,  etc.,  how  much 
money  they  can  raise,  and  how  much  aid  they  request. 
Thus  the  local  congregation  is  in  the  position  of  asking 
for  aid  and  is  helped  to  keep  a  sense  of  responsibility  for 
the  work  of  the  church.  The  Japanese  Christians  are 
learning  to  give  liberally.  So  far  as  statistics  are  con- 
cerned, more  progress  is  shown  in  the  column  of  Japanese 
contributions  than  in  any  other.  In  the  year  19 17, 
one  man  gave  to  Fukushima  Church  I500  for  a  kinder- 
garten; two  members  at  Nagaoka  gave  $1,000  for  a 
chapel;  and  a  member  at  Shinjo  promised  $2,000  to- 
ward the  cost  of  a  chapel  provided  an  equal  amount  be 
raised.  These  are  large  gifts,  considering  that  salaries 
and  wages  are  not  more  than  one-fourth  the  correspond- 
ing amounts  in  America. 

Influence  of  the  Missionary.  A  visitor  from  Eng- 
land said  to  one  of  the  missionaries  in  the  evangelistic 
service,  "You  are,  I  see,  a  bishop  in  all  but  the  name." 
But  the  task  of  an  evangelistic  missionary  is  harder  than 
that  of  a  bishop;  for  a  bishop  has  a  certain  well-defined 
authority,  which  the  missionary  has  not.  Officially 
he  stands  simply  as  a  kind  of  corresponding  secretary  to 
the  joint  committees  that  manage  the  work.  Practically, 
so  long  as  a  large  part  of  the  funds  used  to  aid  the  work 
of  the  Japanese  churches  comes  from  America,  and  the 
missionary  truly  represents  the  wishes  of  the  contributors, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  his  opinions  have  great,  and  often 
decisive,  weight.  But  a  wise  missionary  never  threatens. 
Patience  is  the  quality  that  wins. 

Where  the  Work  is  Hardest.  By  the  Problem  of  the 
County  Town  we  mean  this,  that  it  is  comparatively  easy 


250  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

to  build  up  a  church  in  a  rural  district,  or  in  a  large  city, 
but  very  difficult  in  the  ordinary  county-town.  In  the 
country  the  work  is  rather  easy.  The  people  are  more 
open-minded,  thoughtful  and  of  a  naturally  religious 
temperament,  and  society  is  not  so  closely  knit  together 
as  in  larger  aggregations  of  population.  The  work  is 
also  rather  easy  in  one  of  the  larger  cities.  In  Japan,  as 
in  other  parts  of  the  world,  cities  attract  from  all  direc- 
tions the  brightest  men  and  women,  the  most  promising 
material  for  the  Christian  Church.  It  is  said  of  a  church 
in  Ohio  that  more  of  its  members  are  to  be  found  in  one 
church  in  Columbus  than  in  the  village  in  which  it  is 
placed.  So  in  ancient  times,  St.  Paul  had  not  worked 
long  before  there  was  a  larger  congregation  in  Rome, 
where  he  had  never  been,  than  there  was  in  any  of  the 
towns  in  which  he  had  worked.  In  some  sections  of 
Tokyo  or  Osaka,  it  is  almost  as  easy  to  start  a  church  as 
it  is  in  Allentown,  Pennsylvania.  But  the  work  in  a 
typical  county-town  is  very  hard  indeed. 

Much  Effort  Expended  on  Towns.  Probably,  if 
the  missionaries  in  the  evangelistic  service  were  to  begin 
all  over,  they  would  either  concentrate  upon  the  large 
cities,  where  success  has  been  greatest  in  proportion 
with  the  effort  expended,  or  upon  the  rural  districts, 
where  the  little  experience  they  have  had  shows  that  much 
more  might  have  been  accomplished  than  in  the  towns 
for  the  same  expenditure  of  effort.  The  reason  why 
so  much  effort  has  been  devoted  to  the  county-towns  is 
that  the  older  Japanese  evangelists  did  not  have  the 
confidence  in  the  common  people,  particularly  those  in 
the  country,  that  Americans  have.  They  felt  that  the 
way  to  evangelize  Japanese  society  was  to  begin  at  the 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  251 

top.  That  was  the  idea  of  Mr.  Oshikawa,  who  believed 
he  saw  a  great  opportunity  to  influence  men  in  high 
oflicial  circles;  and  so  he  is  today  a  member  of  Parlia- 
ment. Men  of  less  ability  have  aspired  to  pulpits  in  the 
cities  and  those  not  able  to  attain  their  ambitions  have 
naturally  preferred  the  larger  towns.  That  is,  the  mis- 
sionaries wanted  to  begin  at  the  bottom  and  the  Japan- 
ese wanted  to  begin  at  the  top;  so  they  naturally  com- 
promised on  the  middle. 

The  Old  Method.  No  doubt,  the  great  welcome 
given  to  the  Christian  religion  in  the  eighties  misled  the 
older  missionaries  somewhat.  They  underestimated  the 
opposition.  It  was  too  often  assumed  that  in  order  to 
evangelize  a  typical  town  of  10,000  inhabitants,  it  would 
be  quite  sufficient  to  rent  an  old  shop  in  a  convenient 
place  and  send  a  Japanese  graduate  of  an  ordinary  theo- 
logical school  there  to  preach  the  Gospel.  Experience 
has  shown  that  there  is  little  hope  of  success  in  such  a 
case.  For  the  ordinary  town  has  its  cemeteries  and  its 
traditions,  and  the  people  are  bound  tightly  together  by 
relationships  that  make  it  almost  impossible  to  win  a 
single  convert  without  moving  the  town  as  a  whole. 
The  town  must  be  broken  up  as  a  whole,  and  until  that  is 
done,  it  is  not  feasible  to  do  much  with  the  individual. 

Results  Not  Wholly  Satisfactory.  In  such  a  town 
the  converts  have  usually  been  men  coming  in  from  other 
communities,  as  teachers  and  other  officials,  or  professional 
men,  who  are  not  tied  down  by  the  social  system  of  the 
place.  It  has  often  been  found  that  a  candidate  for  bap- 
tism expected  immediately  afterwards  to  remove  to 
other  parts.  He  had  long  desired  to  be  a  Christian,  but 
could  not  become  a  member  of  the  Church  and  stay  in 


252  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

the  midst  of  his  old  associates.  Accordingly,  becoming 
a  Christian  meant  living  at  another  place.  In  such  a 
town,  the  motive  that  leads  people  to  desire  to  become 
Christians,  is  usually  the  conviction  that  this  religion 
has  great  moral  power  and  promotes  the  cultivation  of 
good  character.  But  missionaries  must  continually  be 
on  their  guard  against  those  whose  motives  are  not  good. 
Some  imagine  that  the  profession  of  faith  makes  a  sick 
man  healthy  or  opens  up  the  way  to  obtain  a  modern  edu- 
cation or  gains  for  him  the  confidence  of  the  Americans 
with  whom  he  desires  to  do  business.  To  admit  such 
people  to  a  church  is  fatal,  and  successful  workers,  both 
Japanese  and  American,  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  them. 

Faithfulness  Rewarded.  Wonderful  work  has  been 
accomplished  in  the  most  forlorn  situations.  Some  years 
ago  when  Mr.  Tsuchida  was  evangelist  at  Yamagata,  on 
a  certain  evening,  no  one  came  to  hear  him  preach.  Un- 
discouraged,  he  opened  the  front  of  the  building  and 
preached  to  the  empty  street.  A  young  telegraph  oper- 
ator passing  by  was  so  impressed  by  this  performance 
that  it  led  to  his  conversion.  He  is  now  a  poultryman 
and  clerk  in  a  bank  at  Yamanobe,  where  he  conducts  a 
Sunday  School  in  three  divisions,  one  after  the  other, 
one  for  the  adults,  one  for  the  boys  and  girls,  and  one  for 
the  little  ones;  and  it  is  said  that  he  is  so  interesting  that 
all  the  scholars  stay  for  all  the  sessions. 

Why  Some  Town  Churches  Prosper.  The  old 
method  has  been  successful  here  and  there.  Where  the 
church  has  prospered  the  cause  of  its  rapid  progress  has 
been,  (i)  an  advantageous  situation,  where  by  reason  of 
the  location  of  schools  or  other  official  institutions  or 
modern   business   enterprises   there   has   been   influx   ot 


Taira    Sunday    School 


Kitakata  Sunday  School 


Yamagata   Kindergarten 


Miharu    Kindergarten 


Fostering  Infant  Churches  253 

people  of  the  sort  that  make  good  material,  or  (2)  a  Chris- 
tian leader  of  great  personal  power  and  influence,  who 
may  be  either  a  pastor  or  a  layman,  or  (3)  a  beautiful 
chapel  happily  placed  and  so  well  kept  up  that  it  attracts 
the  people,  or  (4)  some  form  of  social  work. 

Evangelization  Through  Social  Work.  It  is  upon 
this  last  factor  that  we  are  now  desirous  of  placing  the 
emphasis.  In  the  towns,  it  is  important  that  Sunday 
School  chapels  well  equipped  for  their  work  should  be 
erected  speedily.  Progress  would  be  made  much  more 
rapidly  if  in  connection  with  these  chapels  some  work 
could  be  undertaken  that  would  appeal  to  the  community. 
Night  schools  for  apprentices,  day  nurseries  for  the 
children  of  working  people  and  similar  forms  of  service 
would  bring  our  workers  and  the  people  of  the  town  into 
close  personal  contact.  In  October,  1917,  it  was  voted 
that  "hereafter  in  the  erection  of  church-plants  it  is  the 
policy  of  the  Mission  to  make  provision  for  some  measure 
of  institutional  work." 

Kindergarten  at  Miharu.  At  Miharu,  Pastor  Yosh- 
ida  and  his  wife,  both  of  whom  have  had  experience  in 
kindergarten  work,  have  won  the  sympathy  of  the  whole 
town  by  establishing  a  kindergarten.  One  of  the  prin- 
cipal buildings  of  the  town,  that  once  was  a  mansion 
belonging  to  the  feudal  lord,  and  later  served  as  the  town 
office,  was  given  at  a  nominal  rent  in  order  that  this 
kindergarten  might  be  started,  and  people  of  the  town, 
not  Christians,  made  large  contributions  to  have  it  re- 
paired and  equipped.  In  such  circumstances,  workers 
get  into  close  touch  with  the  people.  And  the  services 
held  in  the  kindergarten  building  are  more  likely  to  at- 
tract people  than  if  held  in  a  building  used  for  preaching 
only. 


254  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Kindergarten  at  Yamagata.  Mrs.  Kriete  of  Yama- 
gata  writes:  "The  most  encouraging  part  of  our  work  is 
the  kindergarten.  By  our  charter  we  may  have  only 
thirty-two  children,  but  already  on  the  first  of  August 
twenty-five  of  the  possible  thirty-two  had  applied  for 
admission  for  the  fall  term  beginning  in  September,  and 
we  cannot  advertise  the  kindergarten,  because  we  have 
to  turn  the  applicants  away.  Through  the  kindergarten 
we  have  been  able  to  enter  into  homes  that  otherwise 
would  have  been  closed  to  us,  and  some  very  fine  mothers 
are  becoming  friendly  to  us.  Five  have  already  joined 
our  Women's  Society  {Fujinkwai),  which  means  that  they 
are  not  unwilling  to  receive  Christian  teaching." 

The  Way  to  Succeed.  Since  we  have  done  so  much 
for  the  towns  in  Tohoku  and  have  really  gained  vantage- 
points  in  them,  we  now  ought  to  press  our  advantage, 
and  by  means  of  forms  of  work  that  will  bring  the  evangel- 
ists into  close  personal  touch  with  the  permanent  popu- 
lation carry  the  enterprise  through  to  a  successful  issue. 


The  Call  of  Tohoku 


VIII  ♦ 

THE  CALL  OF  TOHOKU 

A.  The  Political  Situation: 

I.  Strength  of  the  People,  Economic  and  Political. 
2    Influence  upon  China: 

a.  China's  Weakness. 

b.  Japan's  Policy. 

c.  Increasing  Importance  of  Japan  and  China. 
3.  Attitude  toward  America: 

a.  Japan's  Gratitude,  Attack  Impossible. 

b.  No  Desire  for  Right  of  Immigration. 

c.  Americans'  Discourtesy  the  Chief  Cause  of  the  Trouble. 

d.  Tohoku  Mission's  Relation  to  the  Japanese  in  America. 

B.  The  Religious  Situation: 

1.  Bankruptcy  of  the  Old  Religions. 

2.  Appalling  Spiritual  Destitution. 

C.  The  Advance  of  Christianity: 

1.  The  Economic  Struggle:  Against  the  Lethargy  Due  to  Pov- 

erty and  Fear  of  the  Boycott: 

a.  Prestige   of   Christian   Charities:  Red   Cross,   Famine 

Relief,  Sendai  Orphanage,  Anti-tuberculosis  Asso- 
ciation. 

b.  Practical  Efficiency  of  Christians:  Illustrations. 

c.  Christian  Orators  and  Statesmen. 

2.  The  Political  Struggle:  Against  Suspicion  of  Disloyalty,  Re- 

sentment over  White   People's   Disdain,  and   Dread 
of  Democracy. 

a.  New  International  Spirit. 

b.  Influence  of  England  and  America. 

c.  New  Democratic  Spirit,  Emancipation  of  Laborers  and 

of  Women. 

d.  Power  of  Congregational  Life. 

3.  The  Moral  Struggle:  Against  Immorality  and  Intemperance: 

a.  Absence  of  Bad  White  Element  in  Tohoku. 

b.  Reforming  Power  of  the  Gospel:  Illustrations. 

4.  The  Religious  Struggle:  Against  Disparagement  of  Religion 

in  General  and  Christianity  in  Particular. 

a.  Impression  Made  by  Christians'  Sincerity. 

b.  Direct  Appeal  of  the  Gospel. 

c.  Triumphs  of  Faith:  Illustrations. 

d.  Modern  Miracles,  The  Hand  of  God. 

5.  Summary:  The  Progress  Made  in  Fifty  Years. 

D.  The  Call  for  Missionaries: 

1.  Historical  Importance  of  This  Work. 

2.  Strategic  Position  of  Tohoku  Mission. 

3.  Need  of  Missionaries,  Clergymen,  Women,  Laymen. 

4.  The  Number  Needed. 

Conclusion:  Personal  Services  and  Gifts  of  Money,  Our  Ability  and 
Our  Duty. 


VIII. 
THE  CALL  OF  TOHOKU 

An  Energetic  People.  We  have  seen  that  the  7,500,- 
000  inhabitants  of  Tohoku  get  along  tolerably  well  in  a 
country  that  would  hardly  support  1,000,000  Americans. 
Peasants  constitute  the  bulk  of  the  population.  Even  the 
large  towns  are  overgrown  country- villages,  to  which 
are  added  a  few  offices  and  schools.  The  people  live 
mostly  by  farming  and  fishing  and  have  few  other  re- 
sources. In  spite  of  immense  waste  and  woe  caused  by 
drink  and  other  vices,  all  manage  to  live,  and  there  is 
considerable  enjoyment  of  life.  What  can  they  not  do 
when  they  once  begin  to  be  freed  from  their  vices  and  de- 
velop their  industrial  possibilities?  There  are  tremendous 
reserves  of  energy  in  Tohoku. 

A  Rising  Power.  We  have  seen  that  a  public  school 
system  has  been  developed  that  reaches  every  capable 
child  in  the  country.  By  untiring  drill,  the  nation  is 
preparing  itself  to  be  a  great  force  in  the  affairs  of  the 
world.  There  is  no  other  nation  that  has  so  thoroughly 
studied  the  whole  world,  or  has  so  profited  by  the  lessons 
of  history.  Their  ships  now  control  the  Pacific.  It  is 
not  strange  that  neighboring  nations  are  beginning  to  be 
afraid  of  what  the  Japanese  might  do  if  they  were  evilly- 
minded. 

Relation  to  China.     The  Japanese  understand  very 

as? 


258  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

well  that  any  foreign  power  that  rules  China  may  easily 
rule  Japan  also;  for  China's  resources  in  coal  and  iron 
and  man-power  are  inexhaustible.  They  have  little 
confidence  that  the  Chinese  will  soon  be  able  to  manage 
their  own  country.  The  Chinese  have  hitherto  been 
strong  in  business,  but  weak  in  government,  while  the 
Japanese  have  hitherto  been  strong  in  government,  but 
weak  in  business.  If  a  Chinese  cashier  embezzles  a 
little  money,  the  guild  will  hunt  him  down  mercilessly 
and  punish  not  only  the  offender  but  also  his  whole  fam- 
ily. In  Japan,  no  one  thinks  of  attempting  to  bribe  a 
policeman,  though  his  salary  is  but  $7-50  a  month.  On 
the  other  hand  the  Japanese  merchant,  belonging  to  a 
class  that  has  ever  been  regarded  with  contempt,  has 
hitherto  been  living  down  to  his  reputation,  and  has 
shown  little  sense  of  commercial  honor,  while  the  Chinese 
official  can  beat  the  world  in  the  game  of  graft.  Former 
Minister  Hioki  no  doubt  expresses  the  verdict  of  the  Jap- 
anese when  he  says:  "The  Chinese  have  no  talent  con- 
genitally  for  social  and  political  organization."  We  may 
regret  that  the  Japanese  have  not  more  confidence  in 
the  Chinese.  But  if  it  be  granted  that  Chma  cannot 
yet  stand  quite  alone,  we  can  understand  the  desire  of 
Japan  that  necessary  aid  be  given  from  Tokyo  rather 
than  from  any  other  quarter. 

No  Annexation.  The  President  of  the  Yokohama 
Specie  Bank  is  quoted  by  Mr.  S.  S.  McClure  as  saying: 
"So  far  as  raw  material  is  concerned,  Japan  is  incapable 
of  existing  as  an  independent  nation.  We  have  not  one 
bale  of  cotton,  not  a  bale  of  wool,  almost  no  iron.  With- 
out these  three  things  it  would  be  difficult  for  Japan  to 
exist  as  a  powerful  individual  nation.     So  we  want  to 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  259 

get  the  raw  material  from  China.  We  do  not  want 
territory.**  At  New  York,  in  September,  1917,  Ambas- 
sador Ishii  said:  "Not  only  will  we  not  seek  to  assail  the 
integrity  or  the  sovereignty  of  China,  but  we  will  even- 
tually be  prepared  to  defend  the  same  integrity  and  in- 
dependence of  China  against  any  aggressor." 

Japan  Leading  the  Orient.  Much,  of  course,  will 
depend  on  the  issue  of  the  present  war.  But  one  thing 
is  certain,  every  day  that  the  war  continues  the  relative 
value  of  Japan  and  China  is  rising.  When  Europe  has 
been  exhausted,  the  power  of  these  nations  will  loom  up 
very  large  in  the  affairs  of  the  world.  They  comprise 
one-third  of  the  population  of  the  earth.  Probably  for 
a  long  time  to  come  Japan  will  lead  China. 

The  Future  of  the  Pacific.  However  the  present 
war  may  end,  it  is  probable  that  after  it  is  over  America 
will  lead  the  western  nations  in  determining  what  their 
relations  to  the  races  of  the  Orient  shall  be.  There  are 
those  who  think  that  the  countries  about  the  Pacific 
will  become  now  what  the  countries  about  the  Mediter- 
ranean once  were — the  bearers  of  the  world's  most  ad- 
vanced civilization.  Hence  the  question  of  the  relations 
between  America  and  Japan  is  one  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance. 

Japan's  Regard  for  America.  Many  Americans 
have  been  persuaded  that  sometime  Japan  will  attack 
the  United  States.  Missionaries  who  have  lived  among 
the  Japanese  for  a  long  time  cannot  share  this  persuasion. 
The  people  have  been  so  unvaryingly  kind  to  Americans 
living  in  their  midst  that  we  must  believe  that  they  want 
to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  America.  One  reason  for 
their  friendliness  is  gratitude.     After  1854,  when  Japan 


26o  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

was  forced  to  get  into  touch  with  the  modern  world  and 
stood  in  the  presence  of  the  nations  dazed  and  helpless, 
the  representatives  of  the  United  States  showed  a  spirit 
of  genuine  disinterested  friendliness,  and  gave  invaluable 
advice,  acting  the  part  of  a  generous  older  brother  who 
wanted  the  younger  to  succeed.  The  Japanese  remember 
these  facts  gratefully  and  always  remind  visiting  Ameri- 
cans of  them. 

Suggestion  of  War  Resented.  One  missionary 
says:  "An  elder  of  the  church  at  Iwanuma  once  asked 
me  why  there  was  so  much  friction  between  my  people 
and  his  people  in  California.  I  replied  that  it  was  no 
doubt  because  the  Californians  were  afraid  of  the  Ja- 
panese. I  meant  to  explain  that  the  Japanese  are  so 
efficient  in  agriculture  that  if  they  were  allowed  to  enter 
freely  they  would  soon  possess  the  best  part  of  California's 
farmlands.  But  the  elder,  misunderstanding  me  to  mean 
that  the  Californians  were  afraid  of  attack  in  a  military 
sense,  at  once  showed  great  anger,  and  said  it  was  most 
unkind  in  the  Americans  to  think  the  Japanese  capable  of 
such  ingratitude;  that  for  Japan  to  attack  America 
would  be  like  slapping  one's  father  in  the  face.  His 
evident  indignation  made  a  deep  impression  on  my  mind." 

Immigration  Not  the  Issue.  If  there  ever  is  a  war 
between  America  and  Japan,  it  will  be  largely  due  to 
our  blundering  insults.  The  Japanese  authorities  do 
not  want  the  privilege  of  free  immigration  for  their  labor- 
ing classes.  The  government  grants  passports  only  to 
those  who  travel  for  business  or  pleasure  and  to  students, 
not  to  those  who  plan  to  reside  permanently  in  the  United 
States  and  earn  their  living  there.  The  Japanese  who 
formerly  came  to  America  as  laborers  usually  intended 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  261 

to  make  a  lot  of  money  and  then  return  to  the  old  country, 
buy  a  pretty  villa,  and  live  at  ease  the  rest  of  their  days. 
But  most  of  them  have  changed  their  minds.  American 
life  is  too  attractive.  They  are  finally  lost  to  the  Japan- 
ese Empire,  and  they,  or  their  children  at  least,  become 
Americans  in  spirit.  The  statesmen  of  Japan  feel  that 
they  cannot  spare  enterprising  men,  who  are  naturally 
the  ones  that  seek  to  emigrate  to  America. 

Experience  of  the  Potato  King  of  California.  An 
honest  Japanese  named  Shima  has  made  millions  in  Cal- 
ifornia by  developing  waste  lands  and  raising  potatoes 
more  efficiently  than  any  one  else  could.  He  loves 
America.  He  says:  ''California  is  my  home.  I  notice 
that  most  of  my  fellow-countrymen,  when  they  first 
come  here,  say  that  they  want  to  stay  here  a  while  and 
go  back.  They  do  go  back  when  they  have  accumula- 
ted some  money,  and  then  in  a  few  months  they  return 
to  California  to  stay.'* 

Race-Prejudice  the  Chief  Difficulty.  Why  should 
not  a  Japanese  like  Mr.  Shima,  who  has  done  a  good  ser- 
vice to  California,  live  in  a  good  house  and  ride  in  a 
good  automobile  ?  Yet  there  are  many  people  who  scowl 
to  see  an  Oriental  riding  about  in  his  own  car.  That 
spirit  is  really  what  makes  the  Japanese  unhappy  and 
resentful,  though  they  may  give  half  a  dozen  other  rea- 
sons for  their  displeasure.  What  they  want  is  not  an 
open  door  for  their  emigrants;  they  only  ask  that  the 
same  respect  be  shown  to  their  countrymen,  who  are 
here,  that  is  shown  to  any  other  people. 

Japanese  Sensitiveness.  Of  course  the  Japanese, 
too,  are  to  blame  for  much  of  the  friction.  They  are  very 
sensitive,    and    often    misunderstand    Americans.     For 


262  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

instance,  when  an  American  workman  wishes  to  be  friendly 
to  a  newly-arrived  Japanese  he  may  slap  him  on  the  back. 
This  is  a  brotherly  gesture.  But  it  is  a  mistake  to  use  it 
on  an  unsophisticated  Japanese,  who,  being  unfamiliar 
with  the  free  and  easy  ways  of  Americans,  feels  that  he 
is  being  despised  and  abused. 

The  Tohoku  Mission  and  the  Pacific  Coast.  We 
have  not  time  fully  to  discuss  this  question,  which  is  of 
great  importance  for  the  work  in  Tohoku.  It  is  said 
that  of  the  100,000  Japanese  residing  in  our  country,  at 
least  500  are  Christians  through  the  work  of  the  Tohoku 
Mission.  Of  the  sixty-four  Japanese  missionary  pastors 
working  among  them  at  any  time,  at  least  six  or  seven 
are  alumni  of  the  institution  at  Sendai.  Their  leader, 
the  president  of  their  interdenominational  Board  of  Mis- 
sions, Rev.  Kodaira-Kunio,  is  a  graduate  of  North  Japan 
College.  The  work  of  this  board,  by  the  way,  is  worthy 
of  careful  study. 

Reflex  Influence  on  Tohoku.  This  work  in  America 
has  a  vital  connection  with  the  work  in  the  old  country. 
Many  a  village  in  Tohoku  is  influenced  for  or  against 
Christianity  by  the  testimony  of  someone  who  has  gone 
out  across  the  sea  and  visited  our  Pacific  Coast.  In 
various  denominations  in  Japan  many  of  the  efficient 
native  ministers  have  had  experience  in  America. 

The  Future  Religion  of  Japan.  Having  looked  at 
the  international  relations  of  the  field,  let  us  ask,  "Is  it 
likely  that  Japan  will  become  Christian?"  Or,  since 
there  is  no  nation  in  the  world  that  may  be  called  thor- 
oughly Christian,  let  us  ask,  "What  is  the  prospect  that 
Japan  will  become  as  Christian  as  our  country  is?" 

Christianity  Versus   Irreligion.     The   most   serious 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  263 

conflict  will  be  between  Christianity  and  irreligion,  not 
between  this  religion  and  some  other  one.  For  the  old 
religions  of  the  land  are  breaking  down,  and  are  no  longer 
able  to  satisfy  intelligent  people.  A  canvass  of  the  stu- 
dents in  a  higher  government  school  usually  shows  that 
the  great  majority  profess  to  be  atheists  or  agnostics, 
and  of  those  who  confess  faith  in  any  religion  the  Chris- 
tians may  be  more  numerous  than  any  other  group. 
The  old  religions,  to  save  themselves,  are  approaching 
Christianity  in  doctrine  and  method.  It  is  said  that  by 
1916  the  New  Buddhists  of  Japan  had  started  800  "Sun- 
day Schools"  with  120,000  scholars.  This  fact  rather 
encourages  the  belief  that  Japan  will  some  day  be  Chris- 
tian. Such  activities  do  not  naturally  belong  to  Bud- 
dhism: they  are  like  the  ornaments  fastened  to  a  Christ- 
mas tree,  which,  beautiful  though  it  is,  must  wither  and 
die  because  its  roots  are  gone.  Dr.  Anesaki,  the  leading 
Japanese  authority  on  Buddhism,  says:  **The  big  tree 
of  Buddhism  is  rotten  at  its  heart.  Christianity  has  not 
rooted  firmly." 

Magnitude  of  the  Task.  At  this  distance  it  is  dif- 
ficult to  imagine  the  overwhelming  weight  of  paganism 
in  Japan.  Many  Americans  confound  paganism  with 
savagery,  and  think  that  when  people  once  get  schools, 
newspapers,  electric  lights  and  telephones,  they  are  as 
good  as  Christianized.  But  according  to  an  estimate  ob- 
tained by  Dr.  John  R.  Mott,  at  a  representative  confer- 
ence of  Christian  leaders,  held  in  Tokyo  in  19 13,  about 
So  per  cent,  of  the  people  are  still  unevangelized,  that  is, 
ignorant  of  Christianity.  Even  on  the  East  Side  of  the 
city  of  Tokyo,  where  most  of  the  laborers  live,  only  one 
foreign  missionary  and  twelve  native  ministers  are  at 


264  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

work  to  save  one  million  of  people.  The  missionary, 
moving  among  great  crowds  where  only  one  in  a  hundred 
is  a  Christian,  is  often  tempted  to  feel  that  the  task  is 
impossible.  How  can  all  this  mass  of  prejudice,  ignor- 
ance and  misery  ever  be  moved  by  our  message?  "With 
men  this  is  impossible,  but  with  God  all  things  are 
possible." 

The  Economic  Difficulty,  The  obstacles  to  the 
progress  of  Christianity  in  Tohoku  may  be  discussed 
under  four  heads,  the  economic,  the  political,  the  moral, 
and  the  religious.  First  we  observe  that  most  of  the 
people  are  terribly  poor,  weary  and  heavy-laden.  It  is  a 
fact  well  known  to  economists  that  the  most  sorely  op- 
pressed of  the  poor  have  no  grievances,  and  it  is  only 
when  the  burden  of  living  is  somewhat  lightened  that 
social  unrest  begins  to  appear.  The  great  concern  of 
our  northern  Japanese  is  to  get  "raiment,  food  and 
shelter,"  and  they  feel  that  they  have  not  time  for  any- 
thing like  religion.  Poverty  benumbs  their  faculties. 
The  masses  are  like  soldiers  on  a  cruel  forced  march; 
they  have  no  energy  to  waste  on  observing  what  happens 
by  the  wayside;  all  they  know  is  that  they  have  to  go  on. 
It  is  our  conviction  that  when  prosperity  begins  to  come 
to  the  toiling  millions,  there  will  be  a  great  awakening 
and  response  to  our  message. 

Fear  of  Injury  to  Business.  It  is  commonly  said 
by  ignorant  Japanese  that  one  who  professes  Christianity 
will  become  a  pauper.  It  is  true  that  when  one  follows 
Christ  some  old  ways  of  getting  money  have  to  be  given 
up.  Often  a  man's  business  is  ruined  by  persecution. 
For  many  the  margin  of  safety  is  so  small  that  they  are 
exceedingly  afraid  of  any  disturbing  factor. 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  265 

Christianity  to  the  Rescue.  But  Christianity  is 
the  only  religion  that  shows  power  to  do  anything  in  the 
way  of  relieving  distress  and  bringing  about  needed  re- 
forms in  methods  of  business.  Illustrations  of  this  fact 
are  so  numerous  that  one  hardly  knows  where  to  begin. 

"What  the  Cross  Stands  For.  It  is  significant  that 
the  Red  Cross  Society,  which  in  Japan  is  a  national  or- 
ganization, enlisting  all  classes  from  nobles  to  peasants, 
is  of  Christian  origin.  Recently  the  question  was  raised 
whether  the  Christians  should  be  allowed  to  use,  as  they 
have  been  accustomed,  the  banner  of  a  red  cross  on  a 
white  ground.  The  government  ruled  that  they  may  do 
so,  provided  the  form  of  the  Christian  emblem  be  made 
distinctive,  the  so-called  Latin  cross,  with  a  long  upright. 
The  Greek  cross  is  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  Red  Cross 
Society. 

Famine  Relief.  Tohoku  has  at  times  suffered  from 
famine.  The  last  severe  shortage  occurred  during  the 
winter  of  1905-06.  Rev.  William  E.  Lampe,  then  of  the 
Tohoku  Mission,  was  appointed  chairman  of  a  relief- 
committee,  which  included  one  representative  each  from 
the  various  missions  at  work  in  the  North,  the  Baptists, 
the  Congregationalists,  the  Disciples,  the  Methodists 
and  the  Roman  Catholics,  also  one  layman,  a  teacher  in 
the  Government  College  of  Sendai.  Large  gifts  of  money 
poured  in  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  great  quantities 
of  rice  and  other  foodstuffs  were  also  sent  in.  Between 
200,000  and  250,000  people  were  fed  and  a  still  larger 
number  of  people  were  given  employment. 

Good  Work  of  the  Churches.  Of  this  work  Dr. 
Lampe  wrote  at  the  time:  "We  are  in  the  center  of 
the   famine  region.     Miyagi   and  Fukushima  Provinces, 


266  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

studded  with  our  churches  and  preaching-places,  were  the 
worst  stricken.  Nearly  every  church  and  preaching- 
place  was  aroused.  Christians  helped  to  provide  food 
and  clothing  for  the  body  and  medicine  for  the  sick; 
they  took  about  i;2oo  helpless  children  from  their  homes 
of  poverty  and  put  them  into  Christian  orphanages; 
they  rescued  a  number  of  girls  who  were  in  danger  of 
being  sold  into  an  evil  life,  and  located  them  in  good 
homes  in  other  cities. 

Food  for  Soul  and  Body.  **Some  five  thousand  of 
the  seven  thousand  dollars  given  by  the  members  of  the 
Reformed  Church  was  put  into  'sympathy  bags.*  A 
Japanese  towel  was  folded  and  made  into  a  bag  holding 
about  two  quarts.  The  bag  was  then  filled  with  rice  or 
other  food  and  one  of  the  Gospels  put  on  top.  In  the 
center  of  the  made-up  bag  was  a  cross,  on  the  right  oi 
which  were  the  words  'Christian  Sympathy  Bag,'  and  on 
the  left  the  name  of  the  church  or  preaching-place.  On 
the  back  of  the  bag  was  the  character  *Love.'  Forty 
thousand  such  bags  were  distributed." 

A  Model  Orphanage.  The  work  of  this  famine  re- 
lief committee  led  directly  to  the  establishment  of  the 
Sendai  Christian  Orphanage,  a  model  institution  of  its 
kind,  caring  for  about  200  children.  Ladies  of  the  Meth- 
odist Mission  have  taken  the  lead  in  this  enterprise,  but 
the  management  is  interdenominational,  and  other  mis- 
sionaries have  much  to  do  with  the  work.  One  of  the 
cottages  for  the  children  was  paid  for  out  of  the  funds 
contributed  by  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States  and  bears  that  name.  Mrs.  Schneder,  through 
her  extensive  acquaintance  with  the  leading  Japanese 
ladies  of  Sendai,  has  done  much  to  interest  the  people  of 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  267 

the  city  in  the  support  of  the  institution.  Japanese 
contributions  in  money  now  amount  to  $1,000  a  year. 
The  Imperial  Government  itself  gives  encouragement 
by  occasional  contributions.  The  teaching  is  done  by 
pupils  of  the  Normal  School.  The  barbers'  guild  takes  a 
hand.  Miss  Imhof,  the  superintendent,  writes:  **One 
morning  early,  I  was  greatly  surprised  to  find  every- 
body in  the  back  yard  of  the  Orphanage  and  a  dozen  or 
more  barbers  busily  engaged  in  shearing  our  lambs. 
This  barber(ous)  act  was  entirely  unsolicited  and  gratu- 
itous." The  interest  of  the  public  is  increasing;  but 
more  than  half  of  the  annual  budget,  which  amounts  to 
$6,000,  still  has  to  be  secured  from  American  and  other 
foreign  sources. 

Fighting  Tuberculosis.  Dr.  Faust  has  done  a  most 
valuable  piece  of  work  by  starting  a  campaign  against 
tuberculosis,  which  is  becoming  a  most  serious  menace. 
More  Japanese  die  of  tuberculosis  in  one  year  than  were 
killed  in  the  war  with  Russia,  and  the  rate  is  increasing. 
Some  of  the  causes  are  damp,  unsunned  living-rooms, 
long  hours  of  labor  on  poor  food,  irregular  habits  in  eating 
and  sleeping,  intemperance  and  vice,  general  ignorance  of 
the  principles  of  hygiene  and  sanitation,  and  lack  of  re- 
gard for  the  health  of  others.  Dr.  Faust,  fresh  from  a 
course  of  study  at  an  American  university,  was  stirred  to 
write  a  series  of  articles  for  a  Sendai  daily  paper,  calling 
the  attention  of  the  public  to  the  peril  of  tuberculosis  and 
showing  how  to  meet  it.  These  articles  became  a  book 
entitled  "A  Terrible  Foe  to  Society,"  which  has  had  a 
large  sale.  The  Government's  Committee  on  Popular 
Education  included  it  in  a  list  of  85  choice  books.  In 
1 91 2,    an    Anti-tuberculosis    Association    was    organized 


268  Tohokuj  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

by  missionaries  and  other  foreigners  in  Japan.  So  a 
great  impulse  was  given  to  a  movement  which  has  now 
become  national  in  its  scope. 

Prestige  of  Christian  Charities.  Dr.  Pettee,  a 
missionary  of  the  American  Board,  who  has  made  a  spec- 
ialty of  the  study  of  charities,  says  of  the  honors  bestowed 
by  the  Emperor  on  the  occasion  of  his  coronation,  **It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  out  of  hundreds  of  workers  along 
philanthropic  lines,  the  two  men  selected  for  special  recog- 
nition are  zealous  Christians,  and  it  is  an  open  secret  in 
governmental  and  philanthropic  circles  that  the  insti- 
tutions that  set  the  pace  in  up-to-date  methods  of  con- 
ducting charity  organizations,  and  that  are  really  suc- 
cessful in  the  permanent  reform  of  character,  are  those 
under  Christian  supervision." 

Christianity  in  Business.  In  Japan,  as  everywhere 
else,  true  religion  in  the  long  run  makes  a  people  pros- 
perous. Christian  love  in  the  heart  helps  a  man  in  his 
business.  When  Pastor  Jo  had  charge  of  the  church  at 
Ishinomaki,  a  young  man,  who  had  served  out  his  time 
as  a  clerk  in  a  dry-goods  shop,  came  to  him  with  a  personal 
problem.  He  said:  "My  master  has  released  me  with  a 
gift  of  ^400  to  start  a  business  for  myself.  A  friend  tells 
me  that  that  is  not  enough  and  that  I  ought  to  borrow 
more  from  my  former  master.  I  prefer  not  to  do  that. 
The  sum  of  ^400  will  be  enough  if  I  start  right.  But 
they  all  say  that  a  merchant  must  tell  lies  or  fail.  Sup- 
pose an  old  woman  asks  me,  'Will  this  piece  of  cloth  fade?* 
If  I  say,  *  Yes,*  she  will  go  to  another  shop."  The  pastor  re- 
plied, ''Explain  the  matter  kindly.  Say,  'For  what  will 
you  use  the  cloth?  If  you  want  it  for  a  lining,  this  will 
do  very  well,  but  if  you  want  it  for  a  child's  garment, 


Coal  Mine  near  Taira 


^^^-.,         ...:f^]                                                ^ 

1 

.j;^'., ' 

,.  -^^-i^^^  » 

«^.s.      .j^  -^ 

J 

1 

1^ 

1 

P 

/I^BH^hI 

I'-'      jfeitei^... 

Zinc  Mine  near  Kitakata 


Christian  Manufacturer  of  Raw  Silk  with  His  Family,  Nagaoka 


.^-r    '^ 


^ir^9§ 


^^ 


Christian  Manufacturer  of  Silk  Goods  in  His  Garden,  Kawamata 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  269 

which  must  be  often  washed,  I  advise  you  to  get  a  better 
quality.  It  will  pay  you  in  the  end.'  '*  The  young  man 
resolved  always  to  tell  the  truth.  With  his  $400  he 
started  a  shop  very  near  the  store  of  an  old  merchant,  who 
had  considerable  capital,  but  did  business  in  the  old  wily 
way.  In  a  short  time  the  honest  Christian  had  a  larger 
capital  and  was  doing  a  far  bigger  business  than  his  rival. 

A  Christian  Manufacturer.  In  the  village  of  Na- 
gaoka,  a  short  distance  north  of  Fukushima,  the  leading 
men  have  been  Christians  for  about  25  years.  One  of 
the  younger  men  (Mr.  Sato-Gishiro)  has  developed  a 
large  business  in  raw  silk.  He  also  conducts  a  carbide 
factory  and  other  enterprises.  Three  years  ago  on  account 
of  the  war,  he  was  nearly  ruined.  In  this  trying  time  he 
did  not  lose  heart,  but  openly  said  that  this  adversity  was 
of  God  and  was  meant  for  the  good  of  all  concerned. 
There  is  now  a  great  demand  for  his  goods  and  he  has 
become  a  wealthy  man.  He  says  that  his  prosperity  is 
due  to  the  blessing  of  God  and  the  influence  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  upon  the  character  of  the  young  people  of 
the  village,  who  work  for  him.  For  the  girls  who  come 
from  a  distance,  he  has  put  up  a  hygienic  dormitory  and 
employed  a  capable  Christian  woman  as  matron.  He 
has  subscribed  $500  for  a  chapel,  by  his  example  leading 
other  prosperous  Christians  to  give  similar  large  gifts. 
This  successful  business-man  has  a  very  bright  son  in 
North  Japan  College,  whom  he  is  encouraging  to  study  for 
the  Christian  ministry,  in  this  respect  setting  an  example 
which  cannot  easily  be  paralleled  by  men  of  means  in 
America. 

Poverty  Abolished.  The  writer  has  often  been  a 
guest  in  the  home  of  a  young  farmer  of  Nagaoka  (Mr. 


270  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

Haga-Morinosuke)  and  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  some 
of  the  observations  that  drop  from  his  lips  as  he  pokes 
the  fire  on  the  hearth:  **At  the  time  of  the  famine  we 
used  the  balance  of  the  funds  contributed  for  relief-work 
to  purchase  fields  for  permanent  poor-relief,  with  the 
intention  of  having  our  young  men  work  them  year  by 
year  and  give  the  produce  to  the  poor.  But  we  have  no 
more  poor  people  in  Nagaoka.  What  shall  we  do  with 
the  fields?" 

Christian  Clerks  Preferred.  "In  the  banks  at  Fu- 
kushima  they  like  to  employ  Christian  men.  But  I  hear 
that  a  director  said  that  he  liked  a  man  who  was  Chris- 
tian enough  to  be  strictly  honest,  but  not  so  extremely 
Christian  that  he  would  not  drink  a  social  glass  with  a 
customer."     (My  host  laughs  over  this  awhile.) 

Eloquence  of  Christian  Speakers.  "1  am  very 
fond  of  public  addresses^  and  whenever  there  is  a  lecture 
in  Fukushima,  I  go  to  hear  it.  Why  is  it  that  the  ablest 
speakers  are  generally  Christians?"  This  question  may 
be  answered  by  saying  that  it  is  because  the  Christians 
have  love  in  their  hearts  and  feel  a  real  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  others.  They  have  a  message  for  society. 
That  may  be  the  reason  why  in  inter-collegiate  contests  at 
Sendai  the  oratorical  prizes  are  usually  taken  by  Chris- 
tian students.  On  such  an  occasion  one  of  the  judges 
remarked:  **It  was  the  character  behind  the  words  that 
made  the  speech  eloquent."  For  the  same  reason  Chris- 
tians are  very  numerous  among  Japanese  journalists. 

Christians  Prominent  in  Politics.     Among  the  381 
members  of  the   Japanese   Parliament,   by    proportional 
representation,  the  Christians  should  have  but  one  mem 
ber  and  possibly*  a  fraction.     There  are  usually  a  dozen. 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  271 

more  or  less.  Years  ago  in  Niigata  Prefecture,  among 
the  candidates  for  election  to  Parliament,  there  were  two 
who  had  professed  Christianity.  Both  were  urged  by 
their  friends  not  to  let  the  fact  be  known,  because  the 
constituency  was  strongly  Buddhistic.  One  took  the 
advice  and  was  miserably  defeated.  The  other  (Hon. 
Kato-Katsuya  of  the  Murakami  Church)  boldly  declared 
his  faith  and  was  returned  with  the  largest  plurality  of 
all  the  candidates.  The  Christian  religion  does  not  dis- 
qualify one  who  would  win,  whether  in  Japan  or  any- 
where else;  quite  the  contrary. 

The  Political  Difficulty.  There  has  been,  and  still 
is,  intense  opposition  to  Christianity  for  political  reasons. 
Since  the  Japanese  view  most  problems  from  the  politi- 
cal angle,  we  feel  this  kind  of  opposition  most  keenly. 
The  old  reason  for  prohibiting  our  religion  was  that  it 
involved  obeying  the  Pope,  a  foreign  lord,  and  comprom- 
ised the  absolute  loyalty  due  from  a  Japanese  to  his 
Emperor.  It  is  still  believed  by  many  that  profession  of 
Christianity  is  an  offense  against  His  Majesty,  and  in  re- 
mote districts  it  is  still  believed  that  American  mission- 
aries come  to  steal  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  enable 
America  to  take  the  country  quietly,  without  using  force. 

The  Problem  of  Extra-territoriality.  This  oppo- 
sition was  most  intense  about  the  year  1890,  because  the 
western  nations  would  not  give  up  the  principle  of  the 
extra-territoriality  of  their  citizens.  That  is,  the  Amer- 
ican Government,  for  instance,  would  not  allow  the  Ja- 
panese authorities  to  have  jurisdiction  over  Americans 
residing  in  Japan,  who  paid  no  taxes  and  in  case  of  wrong- 
doing could  be  tried  and  punished  only  by  the  American 
consul.     This    implied    that    the   Japanese  Government 


272  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

was  inferior  and  not  to  be  trusted.  The  poHcy  was 
fiercely  resented.  There  was,  in  consequence,  a  great 
reaction  against  all  foreign  ways.  The  nationalistic 
spirit  was  stimulated  and  the  militarists  and  emperor- 
worshippers  did  all  in  their  power  to  maintain  the  old 
prejudice  against  Christianity. 

Mistrust  of  the  Democratic  Spirit.  With  the 
complaint  that  the  Christian  nations  were  unbrotherly, 
there  was  joined  the  complaint  that  the  Christians  were 
too  brotherly.  It  was  felt  that  Christianity,  standing  as 
it  does  for  the  brotherhood  of  all  men,  must  tend  to  weaken 
the  spirit  of  devotion  to  the  Emperor  and  the  empire. 
To  put  it  roughly,  many  men  in  authority  seem  to  reason 
thus:  "Christians  sympathize  with  the  poor  and  the 
oppressed,  therefore,  they  want  to  upset  the  present 
government;  they  are  socialists  at  heart;  next  they  will  be 
a  tacking  the  Sovereign." 

Japan  for  the  World.  A  Congregationalist  leader  in 
Tokyo  (Rev.  Ebina-Danjo)  says  that  "for  Japanese  to 
worship  merely  Japanese  gods  is  a  narrowing,  corrupt 
practice  ....  Buddhism  was  japonicized;  we  must 
never  rest  until  Japan  has  been  christianized."  Mr. 
Oshikawa  has  recently  published  in  the  "New  Japan" 
an  article  antagonizing  the  bureaucrats  and  pleading  for 
a  limited  monarchy  and  real  constitutional  government. 
The  keynote  of  the  article  is  his  conviction  that  God  rules 
Japan  and  that  Heaven  expects  the  nation  to  perform  a 
momentous  mission  for  the  peace  of  the  world.  A  stu- 
dent of  North  Japan  College  thus  writes  to  one  of  his 
teachers:  "I  am  very  happy  always  because  we  are  all 
brothers  and  sisters,  Americans,  Japanese,  Indians,  and 
Chinese.     I   think   always   that  we  must  live   together 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  273 

hand  in  hand,  and  we  must  help  and  comfort  one  another. 
When  I  graduate  from  the  Middle  School  I  want  to  enter 
the  Theological  School.  I  wish  to  sacrifice  myself  for  the 
world.  My  father  and  mother  and  friends  ridicule  me  for 
working  for  our  God,  and  for  the  world.  But  it  is  nothing 
when  I  think  how  much  Christ  suffered.** 

Influence  of  Western  Democratic  Ideas.  Many 
causes  have  operated  to  break  up  the  old  narrow  nation- 
alism. After  the  great  success  of  Germany  against 
France  in  1871,  the  military  leaders  of  Japan  were  for 
a  time  warm  admirers  of  Prussia  and  were  encouraged 
to  believe  in  Bismarck's  ideas  of  government.  But 
England  and  America  have  had  a  deeper  influence  upon 
the  nation.  The  government  at  Washington  has  always 
been  generous  to  the  Japanese.  To  give  one  instance,  in 
1883,  our  country  returned  to  Japan  its  share  of  a  big  in- 
demnity that  had  been  extorted  by  the  Powers,  as  a  punish- 
ment for  a  very  feeble  attempt  to  stop  foreign  vessels'  pas- 
sing through  the  Straits  of  Shimonoseki,  stipulating  only 
that  the  money  be  used  for  educational  purposes.  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States  were  first  among  the  na- 
tions to  grant  full  recognition  to  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment, consenting  to  new  treaties  whereby,  in  1899,  ex- 
tra-territorial privileges  were  waived  and  British  and 
American  residents  were  bound  to  submit  to  Japan- 
ese law.  Since  1902,  there  has  been  a  formal  alliance 
between  Great  Britain  and  Japan. 

The  Imperial  House  Not  Necessarily  Autocratic. 
The  question  of  democracy  versus  autocracy  has  little 
to  do  with  the  unique  position  of  the  Japanese  Emperor  as 
the  hereditary  father  of  his  people.  In  Japan  the  father 
does  not  necessarily  govern  the  family.     It  is  considered 


274  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

heresy  to  assume  that  the  Emperor  rules  Japan  in  any 
detail  whatsoever;  he  is  rather  the  inspiration  of  those  who 
conduct  the  affairs  of  the  nation.  One  Japanese  writer 
says:  "As  Generalissimo,  he  speaks  with  words  of  thunder 
to  his  soldiers  and  sailors;  but  as  the  Emperor  of  Japan 
he  is  to  be  compared  to  a  priest,  by  no  means  to  a  states- 
man. It  may  even  be  said  that  the  Japanese  Emperor 
has  nothing  to  do  with  the  government  in  the  political 
sense  of  the  word." 

Tendency  to  Democracy.  For  the  present  Japan 
is  moving  toward  democracy,  appearances  to  the  con- 
trary notwithstanding.  The  appointment  of  the  civilian 
statesman  Okuma  as  premier  was  a  concession  to  the 
democratic  spirit.  But  being  a  mere  civilian,  he  failed  to 
control  the  militaristic  jingoes  in  dealings  with  China. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Terauchi,  who,  having  been  a  mil- 
itary leader  himself,  is  in  a  position  to  restrain  the  military 
class  and  insist  upon  a  saner  policy  toward  China.  It 
is  a  sad  fact  that  for  the  present  it  generally  takes  a  mil- 
itary leader  to  govern  the  country  successfully.  But 
Japan  is  moving  in  the  right  direction. 

Awakening  of  Workingmen.  The  labor-class  is 
beginning  to  move.  In  191 5,  in  all  Japan  9,000  work- 
ingmen were  out  on  strikes;  in  191 6,  10,000;  in  the  first 
eight  months  of  19 17,  30,000  were  involved.  The  leader 
of  Japanese  laborers  is  Mr.  Suzuki-Bunji,  a  Christian, 
originally  from  a  Greek  Catholic  congregation  in  Miyagi 
Prefecture,  not  far  from  Sendai.  He  is  a  graduate  in 
law  of  the  Imperial  University  of  Tokyo.  In  191 2, 
when  there  were  no  other  labor  unions  in  the  coun- 
try, he  organized  the  "Laborers*  Friendly  Society"  (Yu- 
aikwai),  which  now  has  30,000  members.     The  objects 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  275 

are  mutual  financial  protection,  supplementary  educa- 
tion and  bureaus  for  legal  and  medical  counsel.  The 
motto  is,  he  says,  **By  the  People  for  the  People."  In 
1915,  and  again  in  1916,  he  visited  our  Pacific  Coast  and 
sat  in  conventions  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor 
as  a  fraternal  delegate,  doing  more  than  any  other  one 
man  to  remove  misunderstanding  and  ill  feeling  between 
Americans  and  Japanese.  In  Japan  he  is  often  called 
upon  to  settle  strikes. 

A  Polite  Strike.  The  following  is  a  newspaper  ac- 
count of  a  recent  strike  of  the  386  men  employed  in  the 
Fuji  Spinning  Company  of  Tokyo:  "As  every  one  of  the 
men  employed  was  pledged  to  co-operate  in  the  strike, 
even  cooks,  electricians,  and  all  were  to  leave  the  plant 
also.  But  since,  if  they  left,  1,800  women  employees, 
living  in  the  compound,  would  be  deprived  of  their  meals, 
and  all  the  lights  would  be  extinguished,  resulting  in 
possible  danger,  the  workingmen  thought  they  would  be 
liable  to  moral  criticism  if  they  took  that  extreme  step;  so 
they  left  behind  them  18  cooks,  4  boilermen  and  5  elec- 
tricians." It  surely  was  a  most  considerate  and  Chris- 
tian kind  of  a  strike.  Our  I.  W.  W.'s  would  call  Suzuki's 
followers  agents  of  the  capitalists.  But  through  his 
mediation  the  strikers  got  what  they  wanted. 

Strength  of  the  Movement.  Recently  at  Taira  Mr. 
Suzuki  organized  a  branch  among  the  miners;  but  the 
foolish  mine-masters  discharged  every  one  that  had 
anything  to  do  with  him.  His  movement  would  no 
doubt  be  crushed,  if  he  were  not  being  backed  by  some 
very  influential  men  who  have  the  insight  to  see  that  he 
is  warding  off  a  possible  disastrous  revolt  of  the  oppressed 
working  class.    Japanese  Christians  are  truly  loyal  and 


276  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

patriotic  and  have  never  been  involved  in  any  of  the 
plots  to  bring  on  a  revolution  or  strike  at  the  Sovereign. 

Awakening  of  Women.  An  American  travelling 
through  Japan  may  be  surprised  to  find  that  most  of  the 
ticket  agents  at  the  railway  stations  are  women.  Japanese 
girls  are  being  well  educated  and  are  making  great  prog- 
ress along  all  lines  of  business.  There  are  many  women 
teachers,  journalists,  artists,  dentists,  pharmacists,  phys- 
icians, etc.  At  a  recent  examination  for  license  to  practise 
medicine,  out  of  hundreds  of  candidates  but  39  passed, 
and  of  these  27  were  women.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the 
Tohoku  Imperial  University  of  Sendai  was  the  first  in- 
stitution to  allow  co-education;  last  year  two  women 
graduated  there  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science. 
A  Japanese  says:  "As  the  westernization  of  Japan  has 
deepened,  the  christianization  of  Japan  is  being  impercep- 
tibly and  gradually  effected.  Today  there  is  not  an  edu- 
cated Japanese  who,  consciously  or  unconsciously.  Is 
not  strongly  influenced  by  the  Christian  ideas  of  morality, 
no  matter  what  his  professed  faith  be  ...  .  The 
treatment  of  women  in  Japan  has  also  become  greatly 
christianized.  Bigamy  is  a  crime  and  no  decent  man  will 
keep  a  concubine  nowadays." 

Signs  of  the  Times.  To  a  discerning  person,  no 
change  is  more  striking  than  this,  that  formerly  the  fash- 
ions were  set  by  the  fast  women,  the  professional  beauties 
and  entertainers  {geisha),  and  decent  women  who  wished 
to  look  smart  imitated  them,  but  now  it  is  just  the  other 
way  and  the  fast  women  in  dressing  try  to  imitate  re- 
spectable wives.  The  reason  is,  of  course,  that  men  who 
care  for  their  reputations  have  come  to  feel  ashamed  of 
being  seen  with   a  woman  of  dubious  character.     The 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  277 

"Women's  Review"  (Fujin  Koron)  recently  published  a 
symposium  on  ''Tragedies  of  Family  Life"  by  a  number 
of  eminent  men  who  nearly  all  agree  that  the  old  customs 
with  regard  to  the  treatment  and  training  of  women 
must  be  reformed.  The  whole  social  system  must  be 
recast,  so  as  to  satisfy  the  rightful  claims  of  the  country's 
new,  educated  womanhood,  and  many  thoughtful  Jap- 
anese see  that  such  reconstruction  can  be  managed  safely 
only  by  the  power  of  the  Christian  religion. 

A  Better  Social  Order  Coining.  The  Confucian 
ideal  of  the  strict  subordination  of  the  inferior  to  the 
superior  is  surely  breaking  down.  Most  Americans  do 
not  know  that  what  we  call  "society"  hardly  exists  among 
the  Japanese.  When  men  want  to  get  together  socially, 
they  commonly  leave  their  wives  at  home,  go  to  a  res- 
taurant or  some  such  place  and  get  up  a  barbaric  function 
in  which  they  quickly  drink  themselves  tipsy  to  the  tune 
of  nasty  songs  shrieked  by  gaudy  women  {geisha),  A 
Christian  congregation  is  a  new  thing  in  Japan,  for  in 
connection  with  an  old  shrine  or  temple,  there  is  no 
congregational  life,  as  we  have  observed.  In  a  Chris- 
tian church,  as  at  Yonezawa,  for  instance,  a  son  of  the 
former  feudal  lord  of  the  land,  high  officials  and  promi- 
nent merchants,  commune  with  men  and  women  of  the 
lowliest  origin,  all  partaking  of  "the  one  bread."  This  is 
a  great  innovation.  The  Christians  have  also  occasional 
social  gatherings  in  which  men  and  women  of  all  sorts 
enjoy  pure  pleasures  together,  thus  foreshadowing  the 
better  social  conditions  that  are  coming.  The  writer 
has  seen  a  new  convert  fairly  dazed  by  the  social  joy  that 
may  be  developed  on  such  an  occasion,  saying,  "I  never 
knew  that  it  was  possible  for  men  and  women  to  have 
such  a  good  time  as  this  together.'* 


278  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

The  Moral  Difficulty.  There  is  a  common  com- 
plaint: "Christianity  means  constraint.  If  you  become  a 
Christian  you  can't  enjoy  life."  This  is  the  spirit  of  sin, 
the  love  of  pleasures  that  are  false  and  not  really  pleasures, 
the  lie  that  is  of  the  Evil  One.  There  is  probably  no  one 
thing  that  makes  so  many  men  hostile  to  our  cause  as 
the  practice  of  concubinage,  which  is  rampant  in  the 
North.  As  in  parts  of  America,  one  who  wishes  to  move 
in  so-called  society  must  have  his  own  car  or  cars,  so  in 
many  sections  of  Tohoku  it  is  regarded  as  necessary  to 
social  position  and  prestige  and  credit  to  keep  concubines. 
These  sections  are  ten,  twenty  and  thirty  years  behind 
Tokyo  of  today.  In  the  minds  of  many,  Christianity  is 
a  matter  of  abstinence  from  liquor.  Only  the  Christians 
have  fought  and  are  still  fighting  the  old  and  growing 
evils  of  alcoholism  and  prostitution.  All  over  the  country 
are  people  who  know  nothing  else  about  Christianity, 
but  do  know  that  it  means  intense  opposition  to  these 
blasting  vices. 

No  Bad  Foreigners  in  Tohoku.  So  far  as  Tohoku 
is  concerned,  we  missionaries  are  especially  fortunate 
in  that  all  resident  representatives  of  Christian  lands  are 
men  and  women  of  high  character,  the  only  westerners 
on  the  field  being  missionaries  and  teachers.  There  may 
be  no  field  in  the  world  in  which  missionaries  have  a 
higher  reputation  or  more  prestige.  This  is  due  to  the  ab- 
sence of  *'bad  whites."  The  people  observe  the  contrast 
between  the  houses  of  their  own  well-to-do  men,  which 
produce  swarms  of  "wayward  youth,"  and  the  pure  homes 
of  Christian  Americans  and  Christian  Japanese,  in  which 
there  wells  up  a  joy  that  the  worldling  cannot  know. 

The     Great    Argument    for    Christianity.     Here 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  279 

Christianity  makes  its  strongest  appeal.  The  Japanese 
have  become  aware  of  the  tremendous  moral  power  that 
goes  with  the  name  of  Christ.  This  power  is  so  remark- 
able that  it  gives  a  distinctive  expression  to  the  face. 
The  missionary  is  often  able  to  recognize  in  a  crowd  a 
Christian  face  that  he  has  never  seen  before;  the  look 
shows  that  there  is  a  heart  that  knows  "righteousness 
and  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit." 

Experience  of  a  Hopeless  Drunkard.  In  a  village 
near  Yamaguchi,  Fukushima  Prefecture,  lives  a  maker 
of  paper  lanterns,  who  three  years  ago  was  a  hopeless 
drunkard.  He  had  often  tried  to  break  the  bonds  of  his 
habit.  If  he  had  quietly  drunk  his  liquor  and  said  nothing 
about  it,  few  would  have  noticed  his  misery.  But  he  was 
always  declaring  his  intention  to  quit.  Once  he  had  cards 
printed  on  which  he  added  to  his  name  "Member  of  Aizu 
Temperance  Society,"  but  again  went  down  into  the 
gutter,  cards  and  all.  The  village  made  a  laughing-stock 
of  him.  He  knew  that  two  men  of  his  district,  under 
the  preaching  of  the  missionary  who  visited  Yamaguchi 
twice  a  year,  had  been  wholly  saved  from  the  power  of 
drink.  The  next  time  the  missionary  passed  through  his 
village  he  publicly  and  humbly  confessed  his  sin  and  asked 
the  missionary  to  pray  to  Christ  for  his  salvation.  From 
that  moment  the  appetite  was  gone  and  he  has  become  one 
of  the  most  respected  characters  of  his  village  and  a 
leader  among  the  young  men. 

Experience  of  a  Worldly  Woman.  In  .Fukushima 
Church  one  day.  Pastor  Jo  noticed  a  woman  dressed  in 
gaudy  style.  Mrs.  Jo  quietly  inquired  about  her  and 
learned  her  story.  A  rich  young  man  of  Yonezawa  had 
brought  her  to  the  city,  promising  to  make  her  his  wife. 


28o  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

He  left  her  saying  that  he  would  go  ahead  and  secure  the 
consent  of  the  relatives  before  he  introduced  her  to  the 
family.  But  he  did  not  again  appear.  She  was  not  a 
vicious  woman,  and  anxiety  injured  her  health.  She 
went  to  a  physician,  who  happened  to  be  an  elder  of  the 
church.  He  told  her  that  her  trouble  was  more  than 
physical,  and  advised  her  to  go  to  church.  She  did  so  a 
few  times.  One  evening  she  arrived  early.  The  pas- 
tor's wife  invited  her  over  to  the  parsonage.  According 
to  the  Japanese  custom,  the  big  tub  was  steaming.  Ma- 
dame Jo  invited  the  strange  woman  to  refresh  herself 
with  a  bath.  She  treated  her  as  a  friend.  Jesus  once 
told  his  disciples,  *'Ye  also  ought  to  wash  one  another's 
feet."  Dr.  Spangler  Kieffer  relates  that  when  a  young 
man  he  once  cleaned  the  boots  of  his  teacher.  Dr.  Henry 
Harbaugh,  and  was  told  by  him  then,  that  the  words  of 
Jesus  translated  into  American  terms  would  read,  **Ye 
also  ought  to  blacken  one  another's  boots."  It  may 
sound  somewhat  indelicate  in  America,  but  in  Japan 
those  same  words  mean,**Ye  also  ought  to  scrub  one 
another's  backs."  That  is  just  what  the  pastor's  wife 
did  to  show  her  love,  and  the  poor  woman,  touched  by 
her  simple  kindness,  burst  into  tears  of  humility  and 
penitence  and  became  a  Christian  then  and  there.  Later 
she  was  happily  married  to  a  good  man. 

The  Religious  Difficulty.  But  is  the  Christian  re- 
ligion true?  Its  moral  power  is  very  generally  acknowl- 
edged and  cannot  be  gainsaid.  Hosts  of  intelligent  Ja- 
panese say  that  Christianity  is  an  excellent'  doctrine  to 
teach  to  women  and  children,  to  the  lower  classes  and  to 
criminals.  It  works;  it  has  power  to  reform  character 
in  certain  cases.  But  that  is  not  saying  that  it  is  true, 
or  that  an  educated  man  is  bound  to  accept  it  for  himself. 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  281 

Contempt  for  Japanese  Religion.  This  is  the  worst 
kind  of  opposition.  It  is  due  to  the  utter  contempt  for 
religion  caused  by  the  insincerity  of  most  of  the  Buddhist 
priests  and  the  commercialized  superstition  connected 
with  popular  shrines.  There  are  many  great  idols  cher- 
ished for  the  reason  given  by  the  craftsmen  of  Ephesus 
for  upholding  Diana  (Acts  19):  "By  this  business  we  have 
our  wealth."  Not  to  speak  of  the  contribution-boxes  in 
the  streets  leading  to  the  shrines,  there  are  shops,  res- 
taurants, and  even  houses  of  shame,  which  are  sources 
of  revenue  to  the  priests.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  intelligent 
men,  who  know  these  facts,  despise  religion? 

The  Alleged  Failure  of  Christianity.  Moreover, 
many  of  the  skeptical  books  of  the  west  are  imported  and 
eagerly  studied.  Not  only  the  infidel  thought,  but  also 
the  godless  behavior  of  the  western  nations  helps  to  con- 
firm the  conviction  of  many  intelligent  Japanese  that  re- 
ligion is  a  delusion.  Yet,  as  a  keen  observer  has  said, 
"The  war  has  proved  to  thoughtful  men  in  China  and 
Japan,  not  that  Christianity  is  a  failure,  but  that  the 
nations  which  call  themselves  Christian  are  not  really  so.'* 
Using  the  terms  of  Jesus*  parable  of  the  sower,  we  may 
say  that  though  the  soil  in  Europe  may  be  hard  and  stony, 
and  in  America  full  of  thistles,  the  question  is  not  whether 
the  wheat  does  well,  but  whether  the  seed  is  good.  Who 
knows  but  that  the  right  soil  may  be  found  at  last  in  Ja- 
pan and  China?  There  is  but  one  great  question:  "Is 
the  Gospel  true?" 

The  Final  Test.  A  young  peasant  in  Aizu  from  a 
child  was  eager  to  know  the  truth  about  God  and  his 
soul.  He  was  a  bright  boy  and  graduated  at  the  head  of 
a  large  class  in  the  common  school.     His  teachers  ridi- 


282  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

culed  his  quest  of  God.  In  February,  191 5,  at  the  time 
of  the  annual  fair,  he  heard  the  missionary  preaching  on 
the  street  and  speaking  of  God  Our  Father.  Soon  he 
began  to  visit  the  missionary  and  ask  him  to  prove  that 
God  exists.  The  missionary  replied:  *'I  can  prove  to 
you  that  the  world  is  one  and  the  maker  of  it  is  one;  but 
I  cannot  prove  that  the  maker  of  all  things  loves  you  and 
me.  Whatever  I  can  prove  to  you  is  of  the  world,  but 
our  Father  is  not  of  the  world.  He  is  not  a  thing,  but  a 
free  person.  When  you  see  smoke  on  that  mountain 
you  know  that  a  fire  is  burning  there,  and  you  know  that 
it  was  kindled,  not  by  a  snake  or  a  pheasant  or  a  bear,  but 
by  a  man.  So  much  you  can  prove.  But  if  you  want  to 
know  what  kind  of  a  man  he  is  and  why  he  kindled  a 
fire,  you  must  climb  the  mountain  and  talk  with  him. 
So  if  you  want  to  know  our  God,  you  must  pray  to  Him 
and  work  with  Him."  There  were  many  such  discus- 
sions. One  day  he  came  greatly  agitated,  saying:  "I 
have  had  a  talk  with  the  principal  of  the  school.  He 
says  that  no  educated  man  can  believe  that  God  exists. 
I  said  that  the  American  missionary  in  the  city  seems  to 
be  an  educated  man  and  he  believes  in  God.  The  prin- 
cipal laughed  and  said,  'He  doesn't  really,  he  tells  you  so 
because  he  thinks  it  good  for  a  young  fellow  like  you  to 
believe  in  God.*"  The  missionary  assured  the  young  man 
that  he  not  only  believed  in  God,  but  did  not  know  how 
to  live  without  God.  The  young  man  was  convinced  of 
the  missionary's  sincerity,  and  has  been  a  happy  Chris- 
tian from  that  hour.  He  has  led  eight  of  the  young  men 
of  the  village  to  share  his  faith.  It  is  not  logic,  but  sin- 
cerity that  wins. 
Won  by  a  Hymn.     The  right  motive  for  becoming  a 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  283 

Christian  is  not  the  desire  to  get  a  benefit,  even  if  the 
benefit  be  the  power  to  conquer  sin;  it  is,  after  all,  the 
immediate  appeal  of  the  Gospel  as  being  the  truth. 
Hence  many  a  Japanese  has  been  converted  by  a  hymn. 
A  missionary  in  Sendai  writes:  "One  soldier  is  now  com- 
ing for  instruction.  He  told  me  that  when  he  was  a 
child  he  had  a  neighbor  who  was  a  Christian,  and  that 
this  man  used  to  sing  a  certain  hymn  in  which  was  the 
thought  of  light  driving  darkness  from  the  soul.  I  took 
the  Japanese  hymnal  and  found  the  hymn  he  referred  to. 
He  was  very  happy  to  see  it  again,  and  he  read  and  re- 
read it.  His  service  in  the  army  will  end  by  November 
of  this  year.  At  this  time  he  hopes  to  join  the  church,  as 
he  says  he  cannot  live  without  religion.'* 

The  Only  Comfort  in  Life.  A  blind  youth  from  the 
country  near  Inawashiro  was  sent  to  a  school  for  the 
blind  at  Fukushima.  There  one  of  his  teachers,  a  blind 
man  who  is  an  elder  in  the  church  in  that  city,  led  him  to 
Christ.  One  day  the  missionary  at  Wakamatsu  heard 
him  preaching  on  the  street,  reading  his  Testament  with 
his  fingers  and  telling  the  people  that  though  he  was 
blind  he  could  see  some  things  that  his  hearers  with  all 
their  eyes  were  not  seeing.  The  missionary  afterwards 
asked  him,  "Were  you  born  blind?'*  "No,"  he  answered, 
"I  was  born  with  good  eyes;  but  when  I  was  a  small 
baby  there  was  no  proper  food  for  me;  I  nearly  starved  to 
death,  and  I  cried  my  eyes  out."  The  missionary  asked 
further,  "Have  you  faith  enough  to  believe  that  it  has 
been  for  your  good  and  the  good  of  others?"  "Yes,  in- 
deed," was  the  quick  reply,  "if  I  had  not  become  blind 
and  so  had  not  been  sent  to  Fukushima,  probably  I  should 
never  have  known  Christ,  but  have  become  like  other 
young  men  in  the  villages." 


284  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

The  Only  Comfort  in  Death.  A  very  capable  and 
successful  physician  in  Sendai  has  a  wife  who  as  a  young 
girl  studied  in  Miyagi  Girls'  School.  One  day  when  a 
lady  missionary  was  calling  at  the  house  the  doctor  him- 
self came  into  the  room  and  said:  "I  have  a  large  hospital 
filled  with  patients.  I  cannot  cure  all.  Some  must  die. 
But  I  have  noticed  that  when  Christians  come  here  and  I 
tell  them  there  is  no  hope  for  life  and  they  must  die,  they 
have  a  comfort  and  peace  that  I  do  not  understand,  and 
they  seem  to  look  forward  to  death  with  joy.  I  want  to 
have  the  medicine  you  Christians  have,  to  give  to  my 
other  patients;  for  when  I  tell  them  that  they  must  die, 
their  anxiety  is  so  great  that  I  cannot  bear  to  see  it.  And 
in  order  to  give  them  the  medicine  you  have  I  must  have 
it  myself." 

A  Miracle  of  Grace.  One  day  our  lady  missionary 
at  Koishikawa,  Tokyo,  was  visited  by  the  wife  of  a  pro- 
fessor in  the  Imperial  University.  She  brought  a  way- 
ward daughter  and  begged  the  missionary  to  teach  the 
child  to  be  good.  The  girl  had  an  impish  look.  Her 
arms  and  back  bore  the  scars  where  moxa  had  been 
burned  to  punish  her  and  drive  out  the  evil  disposition. 
The  mother  confessed,  "I  have  always  hated  the  child. 
I  didn't  want  her  from  the  beginning.  She  is  so  hateful 
that  I  would  have  killed  her  if  I  had  dared.  Not  that 
I  feared  the  police,  but  I  was  afraid  her  ghost  might  take 
vengeance  on  the  other  children,  whom  I  love."  The 
missionary  saw  that  it  was  the  mother  rather  than  the 
child  that  needed  attention  and  spent  the  morning  teach- 
ing her  the  meaning  of  "God  so  loved  the  world  that  He 
gave  His  only  Son."  A  year  later  the  cure  was  complete, 
the  daughter  was  restored  by  mother-love,  and  the  fath- 
er, deeply  impressed,  became  a  Christian,  too. 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  285 

An  Answer  to  Prayer.  A  lady  missionary  in  Sendai 
gives  an  account  of  the  conversion  of  the  wife  of  a  very 
prominent  lawyer.  **I  worked  twelve  years  to  win  her, 
but  failed.  Then  the  Lord  helped  me.  She  was  the 
mother  of  eight  boys  and  one  little  girl,  who  was  at  this 
time  just  five  years  of  age.  During  the  winter  the 
daughter  was  sick  of  pneumonia  for  three  months,  and 
the  physicians  told  the  mother  that  the  child  could  not 
live  until  morning.  The  father  wrote  to  me:  'Our  little 
daughter  is  dying  and  my  wife's  grief  is  so  great  that  we 
know  not  what  to  do.  I  think  you  are  the  only  one  that 
can  comfort  her.  Please  come  up.'  I  went  and  told  her 
that  Jesus  could  restore  her  child  even  though  the  doc- 
tors said  that  there  was  no  hope.  She  said  it  was  useless  to 
pray  to  the  Lord  because  He  did  not  know  her.  I  put 
my  arm  around  her  neck  and  said,  'Come,  get  on  your 
knees  with  me  and  I  will  ask  the  Lord  for  help.'  I  asked 
the  Lord  to  glorify  Himself  in  this  child.  The  next  morn- 
ing when  I  called  on  the  mother  she  met  me  with  a  calm 
and  beautiful  face,  saying:  'Oh!  it  is  just  wonderful. 
You  had  not  left  our  house  an  hour  when  the  fever  began 
falling  and  it  is  still  falling.  The  three  doctors  have  been 
here  and  they  cannot  understand  why  O  Yae  Chan 
is  not  dead.'  I  said,  'Have  you  prayed?'  'Oh,  yes,'  she 
answered,  'the  first  time  I  prayed  it  seemed  so  strange  to 
be  praying  to  nothing,  but  I  had  the  happiest  feeling  in 
my  heart,  and  the  oftener  I  prayed  the  happier  I  got. 
I  am  no  longer  anxious  about  O  Yae  Chan.  I  have  given 
her  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord' .  .  .  O  Yae  Chan  is 
today  almost  a  young  lady.  The  mother's  changed  life 
since  she  became  a  Christian  is  the  talk  of  the  city.  Last 
year  at  the  anniversary  of  her  own  baptism  one  of  her 


286  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

sons  was  baptized;  and  my  husband  says  that  if  the 
members  of  our  churches  could  have  heard  the  mother's 
prayer  that  night,  we  should  no  longer  have  to  beg 
money  for  missions." 

The  Divine  Factor.  Facts  such  as  these  convince 
us  that  Tohoku  can  be  made  a  Christian  country.  Surely 
God  Himself  has  a  purpose  to  be  accomplished  in  this 
land  and  signally  honors  the  faith  of  those  who  attempt 
great  things  for  Him.  **The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation."  "If  God  is  for  us,  who  can  be  against 
us?"  It  is  the  consciousness  of  being  a  worker  together 
with  God  that  makes  the  life  of  a  missionary  in  Tohoku 
a  perfect  joy. 

The  Open  Door.  The  walls  of  this  Jericho  have  fallen^ 
and  about  all  that  we  have  to  do  is  to  go  in  over  the  ruins. 
The  history  of  missionary  work  in  the  last  fifty  years  may 
be  summarized  roughly  as  follows:  In  the  seventies  the 
prohibition  against  Christianity  was  withdrawn  and  the 
first  churches  were  organized.  In  the  eighties  there  was  a 
craze  for  everything  that  was  foreign  and  a  considerable 
inrush  of  converts,  many  of  whom  did  not  thoroughly 
understand  what  Christianity  stands  for.  In  the  nineties 
the  Japanese  were  indignant  at  the  foreign  nations  be- 
cause they  would  not  give  up  the  extra-territorial  system. 
During  this  period  Christian  churches  and  schools  could 
hardly  hold  their  own.  Consular  jurisdiction  was  given 
up  in  1899,  and  in  the  first  ten  years  of  the  present  cen- 
tury revivals  began  and  the  churches  began  to  grow 
rapidly.  The  beginning  of  the  present  decade  was  marked 
by  a  changed  attitude  on  the  part  of  the  government. 
Mr.  Tokonami,  Vice-Minister  of  Home  Affairs,  pointed 
out  that  the  government  dared  not  neglect  the  influence 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  287 

of  religion  if  it  wished  to  conserve  the  welfare  of  the  coun- 
try. The  result  of  this  agitation  was  that  in  February, 
1912,  a  conference  of  the  three  religions,  Shinto,  Budd- 
hism and  Christianity,  was  called  under  the  auspices  of 
the  government,  and  all  religionists  were  asked  officially 
to  exert  themselves  in  the  interest  of  public  morality. 
Moreover,  the  Bureau  of  Religions  was  transferred  to  the 
Department  of  Education.  These  new  moves  of  the 
government  were  distinctly  pro-Christian.  Not  only 
was  Christianity  recognized,  in  spite  of  relatively  small 
numbers,  as  one  of  the  important  religions  of  the  empire; 
but  notice  was  also  served  to  the  other  religions  that  they 
were  expected  to  be  an  educational  moral  force  in  the  life 
of  the  nation,  that  is,  they  were  to  be  more  of  the  kind 
of  religion  that  Christianity  is. 

A  Great  Opportunity.  One  can  hardly  exaggerate 
the  historical  importance  of  the  work  being  done  today 
in  Tohoku.  This  land  is,  roughly  speaking,  one-fifth  of 
Japan.  In  this  field  it  is  easily  possible  for  a  force  of 
125  missionaries  adequately  supported  from  America, 
and  co-operating  with  the  Japanese  churches,  to  turn 
the  scale  in  favor  of  Christianity.  How  much  that  might 
mean  for  Japan  as  a  whole,  for  all  Asia  and  for  the  world! 

Responsibility  of  the  Tohoku  Mission.  Here  the 
opportunity  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States 
is  exceptionally  great.  This  Church  can  concentrate  its 
forces  on  Tohoku  as  no  other  body  can.  The  edu- 
cational work  in  Sendai  makes  it  easier  for  the  Tohoku 
Mission  to  handle  the  situation  than  for  any  other.  The 
evangelistic  missionaries  have  learned  by  experience  that 
to  find  in  any  place  a  former  student  of  one  of  the  schools, 
whether  a  professed  Christian  or  not,  is  to  find  a  sym- 


288  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

pathetic  friend  and  helper.  Moreover,  the  concentra- 
tion of  Japanese  leaders  at  Sendai  gives  the  Tohoku 
Mission  a  strong  general  staff  for  any  sort  of  campaign. 
This  Mission  has  no  desire  whatever  to  monopolize  the 
field.  We  most  heartily  desire  co-operation  with  other 
Missions;  for  the  task  is  too  large  and  complicated  for 
any  one  group  of  missionaries,  and  variety  is  better  than 
uniformity,  provided  there  is  no  mutual  antagonism. 

Call  for  American  Missionaries.  The  missionaries 
needed  are  such  as  know  how  to  subordinate  themselves 
to  the  native  church,  saying,  like  John  the  Baptist,  "He 
must  increase  and  I  must  decrease."  There  is  much  work 
that  they  alone  can  do.  The  American  missionary  is 
a  great  ice-breaker.  A  welcome  visitor,  everywhere,  he 
can  obtain  a  respectful  hearing  where  the  Japanese 
preacher  unaided  would  be  ignored.  Moreover,  the 
Japanese  preacher  needs  the  stimulus  of  the  presence  and 
sympathy  and  encouragement  of  the  missionary.  The 
opposition  of  the  people  to  the  message  of  the  Gospel  is 
more  real  to  him  than  it  can  be  to  the  American;  and  his 
faith  is  not  so  deeply  grounded  as  that  of  a  man  whose 
spiritual  life  is  rooted  in  the  Christian  people  from  whom 
he  comes.  For  this  reason,  a  Japanese  graduate  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  placed  all  alone  in  a  non-Chris- 
tian community  may  be  more  influenced  by  that  com- 
munity than  he  can  succeed  in  influencing  it.  The  best 
results,  as  experience  abundantly  proves,  are  attained 
where  the  work  of  the  Japanese  evangelists  and  that  of 
the  American  ministers  are  properly  co-ordinated. 

A  Scholar's  Estimate.  Professor  William  Adams 
Brown  of  New  York,  who,  in  191 6,  visited  and  studied 
several  great  fields,  says:  "In  magnitude  China  may  be 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  289 

the  great  mission-field,  but  in  urgency  Japan  comes 
first."  The  same  scholar  says  again,  "I  do  not  believe 
that  there  is  any  place  in  the  world  today  where  the 
presence  of  a  small  group  of  able  and  far-sighted  men  full 
of  sympathy  with  Japan  in  her  legitimate  aspirations 
and  inspired  with  the  Christian  ideal  of  brotherhood  and 
service,  can  do  more  to  advance  the  Kingdom  of  God." 
Let  no  one  be  frightened  by  the  words  "able  and  far- 
sighted."  The  man  with  one  talent,  if  he  knows  how  to 
love  the  Japanese,  may  become  the  best  and  most  useful 
of  missionaries. 

Work  for  American  Women.  Nor  is  the  call  limited 
to  men.  Some  of  the  stories  told  above  show  what  a 
wise  and  tactful  woman  can  do.  In  cities  and  towns 
modern  industrial  life  has  begun  to  take  the  men  away 
from  their  homes,  as  is  the  case  in  America.  The  op- 
portunities of  a  woman  visitor  are  more  numerous  than 
those  of  a  man,  because  in  so  many  houses  the  women 
only  are  at  home.  A  woman  who  can  sympathize  with 
her  sisters  in  their  troubles  and  give  them  a  little  practical 
advice  and  assistance  will  quickly  acquire  a  great  in- 
fluence and  be  in  a  position  to  lead  many  to  Christ. 

Laymen  Also  Useful.  There  is  a  great  opportunity, 
too,  for  Christian  laymen,  practical  business  men,  blest 
with  some  capital  and  a  great  deal  of  courage,  to  live 
among  the  people  and  show  them  by  practical  example 
how  a  Christian  life  is  lived. 

Number  of  Missionaries  Needed.  The  map  which 
we  have  prepared  shows  Tohoku  divided  into  25  sections 
for  missionary  occupation.  The  average  size  is  1200 
square  miles,  or  a  section  30  miles  by  40.  The  average 
population  is  300,000.    Judging  by  our  experience,  we  are 


290  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

convinced  that  if  each  of  these  sections  had  a  little  group 
of  missionaries,  say,  two  families  and  a  single  woman,  of 
any  denomination,  or  of  several  denominations,  within  a 
generation  all  Tohoku  could  be  thoroughly  evangelized 
and  probably  largely  christianized.  That  would  mean  a 
minimum  of  50  families  and  25  single  women.  Not 
counting  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  nor  Protestant 
missionaries  engaged  in  educational  work,  there  are  today 
18  men,  most  of  whom  are  married,  and  18  women  en- 
gaged in  evangelistic  work,  scattered  among  about  half 
of  the  25  sections.  The  minimum  requirement  is  that 
the  number  be  increased  150  per  cent. 

A  Reasonable  Request.  Is  such  increase  beyond  our 
reach?  What  a  small  effort  we  request  compared  with 
the  titanic  sacrifices  being  made  today  in  order  to  decide 
a  political  question,  namely,  whether  we  shall  have  a 
universal  empire  of  the  kind  that  was  tested  and  found 
wanting  in  the  ancient  world,  or  a  federation  of  free 
nations.  To  say  the  least,  is  it  not  also  important  to  de- 
cide whether  Asia  shall  be  Christian  or  not? 

Not  Yours  But  You.  All  calculations  aside,  what  is 
needed  is  consecrated  men  and  women.  Money  alone 
will  not  do  the  work.  It  was  suggested  to  one  of  our  mis- 
sionaries how  he  might  easily  obtain  the  funds  to  erect 
a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  for  the  students  in  his  city.  He 
could  not  see  his  way  clear  to  take  the  money,  because  he 
had  so  many  responsibilities  that  he  could  not  give  proper 
attention  to  the  students  who  might  be  gathered  in  such 
a  building.  Unless  there  is  the  proper  supervision,  such 
equipment  may  become  an  evil  rather  than  a  good. 

Personal  Services  Needed.  So  it  is  not  money  so 
much  as  men  and  women  that  we  want.     We  suggest 


The  Call  of  Tohoku  291 

that  our  readers  first  ask  themselves  if  there  is  any  com- 
pelling reason  why  they  themselves  should  not  go  to  To- 
hoku. If  they  cannot  go,  one's  personal  services  at  home 
are  the  next  best  contribution.  Pray  perseveringly  for 
those  who  do  go.  Work  to  arouse  interest  in  others, 
and  increase  knowledge  of  the  field. 

Gifts  of  Money.  Where  such  a  disposition  exists, 
there  is  never  any  need  to  beg  for  the  funds  required. 
Giving  of  one's  money  is  the  next  best  thing  to  offering 
one's  personal  services.  It  is  a  privilege  and  a  pleasure 
in  a  cause  like  this.  So  far  as  money  is  concerned,  the 
great  need  of  the  present  time  is  funds  to  help  build 
chapels.  Some  individuals  or  groups  find  deep  satis- 
faction in  supporting  a  station  until  it  becomes  self- 
supporting,  or  in  supporting  a  student  in  one  of  the 
schools. 

Seeing  It  Through.  The  missionaries  who  first 
dared  to  attempt  the  task  of  converting  such  a  proud  old 
nation  as  the  Japanese  had  the  heroic  faith  that  "with 
God  all  things  are  possible.**     As  Emerson  said. 

So  near  is  grandeur  to  our  dust, 

So  nigh  is  God  to  man, 
When  duty  whispers  low,  "Thou  must,** 

The  youth  replies,  "I  can.** 

What  seems  impossible  can  be  accomplished  when  God 
commands  it.  We  can  because  we  ought.  Today  we  may 
have  the  guidance  not  only  of  faith  but  also  of  sight. 
Experience  teaches  that  we  can  succeed  in  this  great  en- 
terprise if  we  will.  The  way  is  open  before  us.  We  need 
the  kind  of  heroism  that  perseveres  in  the  long  hard  tug 
and  strain  that  must  be  endured  between  the  first  en- 


292  Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan 

thusiasm  and  the  final  victory.  We  ought  because  we 
can.  Our  beautiful  Tohoku,  with  its  mountains  glisten- 
ing above  the  clouds,  its  sapphire  lakes  beneath,  and  its 
crystal  rivers  hurrying  to  mingle  with  the  phosphorescent 
waves  that  surge  along  the  coast;  with  its  brilliant  val- 
leys dressed  in  emerald  tints  and  flecked  with  gold;  with 
its  brown  fields,  brown  cottages  and  toiling  brown 
men  and  women,  and  all  its  joyous  boys  and  girls, 
shall,  please  God,  become  to  Asia  what  Scotland  has 
been  to  the  western  world,  a  stronghold  of  purest,  truest 
Christianity. 


MAP  OF  NOBTH  d ARXN 
.SHOV  ING  CmEF  ROAD5 
IDF.\I.  DISTDIIil  TIO\^-  V IISSIONXRIKS 


INDEX 


The  asterisk  (♦)  refers  to  an  illustration 


Abukuma  River,  i6 

Adventists,  138 

Agriculture,  see  Peasants 

Ainu,  22,  *24,  33 

Aizu,  102;  see  Wakamatsu 

Akiho,  C,  236 

Akita,  35y  ^33y  136,  138,  142,  248 

Alcoholism,  278-9;  see  Sake 

Alexander,  11 1 

Alexandria,  113 

Alliance  with  England,  273 

Alopen,  112 

Altar,  100 

Alumnae,  215 

Alumni,  200 

Amaterasu,  80 

America,  31,  140,  186,  249,  259-62, 

271-3;  see  New  Spain 
American  Manner  of  Life,  26,  1 53 
American  Board,  130-1 
Amida,  96-8,  113 
Ancestors,  48,  100. 
Anesaki,  M.,  263 
Ankeney,  A.,  25,  248 
Antioch,  iii 

Aomori,  129,  134,  138,  248. 
Archery,  198 
Art,  III 


Ashikaga,  113 

Ashio,  40 

Atago,  102 

Ault,  John,  187 

Ault,  Miss,  203 

Avalanche,  18 

Ballagh,  J.  H.,  124,  132-3 

Bandai,  Mount,  16,  21-2 

Baptism,  243,  251 

Baptists,   134-7 

Baseball,  199 

Basket-ball,  213 

Batchelor,  J,  23 

Bath,  21,  ssy  170 

Bed,  171,  211 

Bell,  100 

Bible,  209 

Bible  Society,  234 

Bible  Study,  197,  209 

"Bible  Study,"  223 

Bible  Training  Course,  206,  208 

Bible  Woman,  177,  236 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  174-8 

Board  of  Directors,  188 

Board  of  Managers,  205 

Boas,  Dr.,  23 

Bradshaw,  Miss,  131 

Brahman,  91 


293 


294 


Index 


Brown,  S.  R.,  124,  127,  132,  187 
Brown,  W.  A.,  245,  288 
Buddha,  90 
Buddhism,  77-8,  *8 1,  90-107,  in, 

1 13-4,  143-4,  151,  239,  272 
Buddhism,  New,  99,  263 
Business  Men,  33-4,  268-70 
Buzzell,  Miss,  135 
Cakes,  64,  167 
Calendar,  60 

California,  see  Pacific  States 
Calls,  167 
Canada,  137 
Carp,  30 
Caste,  46 
Cemetery,  239 
Ceylon,  92 
Chapel,  237 
Characteristics,  61 
Charcoal,  51 
Charity,  62,  139,  268 
Chestnut  Trees,  41 
Children,  40,   57,   102,   159,  232, 

240 
Children,  Baptism  of,  119,  242 
Children,  Missionary,  154,  159 
China,   85,   93,    112,    141,   257-9, 

^  274,  288 
China,  Church  of,  245 
Chinese  Characters,  159-64,  208 
Chosen  (Korea),  85,  93,  *ii9,  125 
Christ,  82,  91,  96,  104,  112 
Christianity,  41,  281 
Christians,  Japanese,  37,  39,  *ii9 

142-5,    216-7,    252,    268-71, 

279-86 
Christian  Literature  Society,  177, 

235 
''Christian  Movement,"  202 


Christian  Science,  84 

Christmas,  232 

Chuai  no  Tomo,  218 

Church,  78,  222 

Church  Government,  122,  131 

Church,    Native,    131,    149,    152, 

166,  177,  244-9 
Church  Property,  244 
"Church  of  Christ,"  136 
City  Work,  179,  250 
Classis  (Presbytery),  125 
Climate,  19,  I53 
Clogs,  54,  238 
Clothes,  52-5,  64,  158 
Coal,  3S.  *268 
Code,  63^  89 
College,  189 
Comity,  123 
"Common  People's  Gospel,"  140, 

216 
Communications,  Department  of, 

228,  232 
Communion,  Close,  135 
Concubinage,  278 
Conference,  Evangelistic,  236 
Confucius,  85 
Confucianism,    45,    77-8,    85-90, 

142,  277 
Congregation,  277 
Congregationalists,  122,  125,  130- 

2,234 
Conscription,  69,  188 
Constitution,  78,  133 
Continuation  Committee,  178 
Contributions    by   Japanese,   236^ 

243,  249 
Converse,  G.  C,  217 
Cook,  H.  H.,  118,  *i69,  227,  234, 

240 


Index 


295 


Cooperation,  247 

Corey,  S.  J.,  137 

Corporation,  175 

Cort,  Mrs.,  203 

Country  Work,  179,  250 

County  Town,  249-53 

Crucifixion,  104 

Date-Masamun^,  115 

Davis,  J.  D.,  132 

De  Forest,  J.  H.,  *ii8,  130,  *iS3» 
240 

Democracy,  68,  89,  104,  174,  207, 
272-7 

Demura,  T.,  192 

"Disciples,"  136 

Dispensary,  119 

Divorce,  59 

Domestic  Science  Course,  210 

Dormitory,  195,  2ii,  269 

Doshisha,  125,  130,  140,  199 

Dutch  Reformed,  123,  129;  see 
Reformed  Church  in  Amer- 
ica. 

Earthquake,  21 

Ebina,  D.,  272 

Ebisu,  see  Ainu 

Echigo,  see  Niigata  Ken 

Edinburgh  Conference,  178 

Edo,  see  Tokyo 

Education,  Christian,  136,  185 

Education,  Department  of,  201, 
228,  287;  see  School 

Electricity,  3Sy  38,  51,  158 

Elmo,  St.,  loi 

Eloquence,  270 

Emerson,  R.  W.,  291 

Emishi,  see  Ainu 

Emperor,  46,  73,  82,  139,  201,  271, 
273 


England,  see  Great  Britain 

England,  Church  of,  137 

English,  III,  165,  185,  198,  203, 

209 
English  Bible  Class,  230 
English  Course,  210 
Episcopal    Church,     125,     137-8, 

204 
Estimates,  175,  249 
Etiquette,  see  Politeness 
Evangel,  221 
Evangelist,    Native,    235-6,    251, 

288 
Evangelistic  Committee,  177,  224, 

247^ 
Evangelistic  Reports,  248 
Evangelization,  151,  186,  219 
Extraterritoriality,  271,  273,  286 
Eye,  103 

Ezo,  see  Ainu,  Hokkaido 
Factory,  34 
Factory  Law,  40 
Family,  57,  100,  119,  121,  194 
Famine,  25,  28,  265-6 
Farms,  25 
Faust,  A.  K.,  205,  *2i5,  228,  241, 

267 
Faust,  Mrs.,  240 
Federated  Missions,  177 
Fencing,  198 
Festival,  81,  233 
Feudal  System,  45 
Finance,  159,  175,  177,  191,  206, 

247 
Fire,  49,  102 
Fish,  26 

Fisher,  I.  J.,  176 
Food,  25,  157,  170,  212 
Formosa,  see  Taiwan 


296 


Index 


Founders'  Day,  199 

France,  119 

Fruit,  30 

Fudo,  *ioi,  103 

Fuel,  158 

Fujimicho  Church,  126 

Fukuin  Shimpo,  126,  200 

Fukunaga,  234 

Fukushima,  115,  *i29,  136,   200, 

244,  249,  278,  283 
Fukushima  Ken,  248,  265 
Fukuzawa,  Y.,  164 
Funeral,  83,99,  113 
Furlough,  179,  181 
Gambling,  70 
Garden,  50,  *269 
Gas,  51,  158 
Gerhard,  P.  L.,  193 
Gerhard,  Miss,  172 
German  Language,  198,  230 
German  Reformed,  see  Reformed 

Church  in  United  States. 
Germany,  119,  273 
Ghost,  104,  284 
Girdle,  53 

Girls,  Working,  35,  269 
Girls*  School,  119,  134,  135,  204 
Gnostics,  113 

God,  79,  85,  89,  105,  282,  286 
Godown,  50 
Golownin,  Admiral,  119 
Government,   Japanese,   68,    175, 

267 
Grammar  School,  160 
Gratitude,  87 
Great  Britain,  15,  273 
Greek  Orthodox  Church,  119,  274 
Guinther,  E.  H.,  175 
Gwassan,  102 


Gymnastics,  72 
Haga,  M.,  270 
Hair  Dressing,  54 
Hakodate,  120 
Harada,  T.,  98,  loi 
Harbaugh,  H.,  280 
Hasekura,  R.,  115,  *ii8 
Hearn,  L.,  100 
Heaven,  93,  145 
Heidelberg  Catechism,  87 
Helper,  166,  179 
Hepburn,  J.  C,  124 
Hibara,  Lake,  21 
Hideyoshi,  114 
Hinayana,  92 
Hioki,  Minister,  258 
Hirosaki,  116,  132-4,  138 
Hoekje,  W.  G.,  248 
Hojo,  President,  95,  200 
Hokkaido  (Ezo),  *24,  125 
Home,  182,  205 
Homma  Family,  60 
Homonyms,  163 
Honda,  Y.,  *ii8,  132-4 
Honen,  97 
Hongwanji,  97 
Hostel,  217 
Hotel,  169-72 
House,  48,  6s,  154-6 
Housecleaning,  70 
Hoy,  W,  E.,  128,  187-8 
Hoy,  Mrs.,  203 
Hsian,  112 
Hygiene,  153-5 
Hymn,  141,  282 
Ibuka,  K,  132 
Ichimura,  T.,  225 
Idolatry,  loi,  105 
lishiba,  E.,  193 


Index 


297 


lizaka,  '237 

Imai,  E.,  200 

Imhof,  Miss,  267 

Immersion,  135,  141 

Immigration,  261 

Imperialism,  82 

Inawashiro,  38,  283 

India,  90-3,  112 

Industrial  Home,  194-6 

Ing,  J.,  133 

Inquirers,  229,  234 

Insincerity,  92,  106 

Institutional  Church,  253 

Internationalism,  272 

Iron,  35,  258 

Irreligion,  262 

Ise,  84,  1 42 

Ishii,  259 

Ishinomaki,  127,  268 

Iwanuma,  223,  244,  260 

Iwate  Ken,  129,  248 

Izanagi,  Izanami,  80 

Jacquet,  *ii8 

Japan,  124 

Japan  Current,  28 

Japanese  People,  23-4 

Japanese    Language,    15,    160-6, 

246 
Japanese    Language    School,    160 
Japanning,  33 
Jews,  1 1 1-2 
Jizo,  *ioi,  102 
Jo,  Y.,  *ii9,  268,  279 
Jodo,  Sect,  97 
Jones,  E.  H.,  135 
Justice,  see  Righteousness 
Justinian,  112 
Kagoshima,  113 
Kaibara,  90 


Kaifong,  112 

Kaigan  Church,  124 

Kajiwara,  C,  192,  232 

Kamaishi,  3s 

Kanamori,  T.,  140,  242 

Kanda,  200 

Karuizawa,  180 

Kasatkin,  see  Nicolai 

Kato,  K,  271 

Kawai,  Miss,  37,  142 

Kawamata,  *37,  269 

Kidder,  Miss,  129 

Kieffer,  J.  S.,  280 

Kimura,  S.,  199 

Kindergarten,  136,  138,  177,  253 

Kishibojin,  102 

Kitakami  River,  16 

Kitakata,  *237,  *252,  *268 

Kitayama  Cemetery,  239 

Kitchen,  50 

Kobo,  113 

Kodaira,  K.,  199,  262 

Koishikawa,  284 

Kojiki,  80 

Komatsu,  T.,  *i9i,  200 

Kongfutse,  see  Confucius 

Konishi,  114 

Korea,  see  Chosen 

Koriyama,  20,  138,  225 

Kriete,  C.  D.,  *i69,  171,  248 

Kriete,  Mrs.,  215,  254 

Kuyper,  H.,  168,  229 

Kwannon,  102 

Kyoto,  46,  97,  116 

Kyushu,  114,  1 1 8-9,  140 

Kyushu  Mission,  129,  228 

Labor,  38,  155,  274 

Lacquer,  33 

Lampe,  W.  E.,  265 


298 


Index 


Land,  Cost  of,  154 

Language  Committee,  177 

Letter  Writing,  166 

Literacy,  71 

Literary  Society,  198,  213 

Literature,  212,  235 

Lloyd,  A.,  113 

Loyalty,  86-7,  96 

Lumber,  155 

Lutherans,  140 

McClure,  S.  S.,  258 

MacNair,  141 

Maezawa,  130 

Mahayana,  92 

Manchuria,  125 

Manual,  175 

Marriage,  58,  104 

Masses,  100,  138 

Mats,  237 

Matsushima,  16,  17,  95,  169,  181 

Meiji,  79 

Meiji  Gakuin,  132 

Merchant  Class,  46,  258 

Methodists,  122,  132-4,  204,  266 

Methodist  Publishing  House,  235 

Middleman,  64 

Middle  School,  189-91 

Miharu,  224,  253 

Military,  46,  69,  83,  272,  274 

Milk,  26,  29,  158 

Miller,  E.  R.,  129 

Mines,  35 

Mission,  174-7 

Mission  Church,  243 

Mission  Office,  175 

Missionaries,  149-182,  288;  auth- 
ority of,  246;  classes  of,  178; 
distribution  of,  179;  influence 
of,  249;  lay,  289;  need  of,  151, 


289;  policy  of,  250;  residences 

of,    *  1 52-3;    vacations,    180; 

wives,  175,  180 
Miura,  T.,  231 
Miyagi,  16 
Miyagi  Ken,  248,  265 
Miyagi  Classis,  188,  247 
Miyagi  Jogakko,  175,  187,  203-1 6, 

*2i4,  236,  284 
Miyasaki  Ken,  37 
Mizusawa,  116 
Modesty,  ss 

Moore,  J.  P.,  128,  172,  248 
Moral  Teaching,  72,  106,  197,  231 
Moral  Power,  278-80 
Morioka,  116,  119,  129,  135,  136, 

138,  168,  229 
Morning  Star  Middle  School,  201 
Motoori,  80 
Motorcycle,  225 
Mott,  J.  R.,  150,  202,  263 
Mountains,  20 
Munro,  N.  G.,  22-3 
Murakami,  271 
Music,  70,  1 80 
Music  Course,  210 
Mysticism,  94 
Nagaoka,  142,  249,  269 
Nagasaki,  123 
Nagase  River,  21-2 
Nakamura,  *i6,  25 
Nakayama-Miki,  84 
Nambanji,  114 
Namie,  240 

Nationalism,  77,  82,  125 
Nestorians,  11 2-3 
New  Spain,  115 
New  Testament,  143 
Newspaper  Evangelism,  228 


Index 


299 


Nibancho  Church,  128,  187,  218, 

239. 
Nichiren,  96 
Nicolai,  *ii8,  119 
Nihon    Kirisuto    Kyokwai,    122, 

124,  127,  141,  ie6,  188,  199, 

243 
Niigata,  18,  127,  132,  138 
Niigata  Ken,  *I7,  19,  24,  35,  loi, 

127,  132,  137,  271 
Niishima,  J.,  125,  130 
Nippashi  River,  38 
Nobunaga,  114 
Nogi,  General,  79,  88 
North  Japan  College,  see  Tohoku 

Gakuin 
Noss,  C,  166,  173,  224,  227,  248, 

281 
0,115 

Oda,  see  Nobunaga 
Odaka,  231 
Odera,  39 
Ogawara,  202 
Ojiya,  *I7 

Okuma,  Marquis,  274 
Old  Testament,  105,  221 
Olds,  C.  B.,  132 
Olympic  Meet,  62 
Omiya,  *8o 
Onna  Daigaku,  90 
Ononii,  224 
Opium,  70 

Oriental  Missionary  Society,   138 
Orphanage,  266 
Osaka,  2cxd 
Oshikawa,  M.,  127-8,  134-5,  187- 

8,  194,  239>  251,  272 
Otani,  Countess,  99 
Otomo,  114 


Pacific  Ocean,  257,  259 

Pacific  States,  17,  99,  260-2 

Paganism,  loi 

Palm,  Dr.,  127 

Parliament,  270 

Paul  V,  Pope,  116 

Peasants,  25,  46,  59,  231 

Pedley,  H.,  132 

Penance,  102 

Pennsylvania,  185 

Perry,  Commodore,  45 

Persecution,  11 4-7,  264 

Personality,  105 

Peshawur,  112 

Petroleum,  35 

Pettee,  J.  H.,  268 

Philip  of  Spain,  115 

Pieters,  A.,  228 

Pifer,  Miss,  284 

Pilgrimage,  loi 

"Pioneer,"  200 

Poate,  T.  P.,  135 

Police,  70,  258 

Politeness,  s^y  63,  88 

Poorbaugh,  Miss,  203 

Pope,  271 

Population,  24 

Portuguese,  113-118 

Post  Office,  142,  232 

Poverty,  59,  264,  269 

Prayer,  224,  285 

Preaching  Place,  235 

Prefecture,  68,  248 

Presbyterian,  122-7,  129,  132,  14I 

Priest,  *8o,  82,  94,  99,  104,  142, 
281 

Prostitution,  37,  66,  70 

Protestant  Episcopal,  see  Episco- 
pal. 


300 


Index 


Protestants,  121 

Quiet  Session,  95 

Race  Prejudice,  160,  261 

Rai-Sanyo,  16 

Railway  Mission,  232 

Rain,  20 

Red  Cross,  265 

Reformed  Church  in  America,  123, 

125,  126,  129 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United 

States,    123-130,    266,    287; 

see  Tohoku  Mission 
Relations,  Five,  86 
Religions,  77-107 
Religions,  Bureau  of,  228,  287 
Religions,  Toleration  of,  77-8 
Rescript,  Educational,  73 
Reserve,  88 

Residence,  Missionary,  154 
Retirement  from  Active  Life,  106 
Revolution  of  1868,  46,  133 
Rice,  25-6,  170,  212 
Righteousness,  88-90 
Rimitsu,  112 
Rinzai,  94 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  92,  112, 

1 13-9,  125,  182,  201,204 
Rosenberg,  164 
Rupp,  J.  G.,  240 
Russia,  119-20 
Ryou,  234 
Sacrifice,  68,  104 
Sado  Island,  127 
Saeki,  Prof.,  113 
Sakano,  D.,  143 
Sakata,  60,  107,  231 
Sakura-Sogoro,  104 
Sakya,  90 
Salary,  159,  236 


Salvation,  103 

Salvation  Army,  126,  139 

Sasao,  K.,  192 

Sato-Chomatsu,  200 

Sato-Gishiro,  269 

Schneder,  D.  B.,  105,  128,  190, 
*i9i,  201,  217 

Schneder,  Mrs.  144,  190,  266,  285 

Scholarships,  195,  208 

School,  Public,  71-3,  207,  238,  257 

Scotland,  15 

Secretary  of  Mission,  176 

Seedsowing,  225-235 

Seiple,  W.  G.,  192-3,  228 

Self  Support,  244 

Sendai,  16,  17,  *24,  85,  114-7,  119, 
120,  128,  131,  134,  136,  138, 
144,  *i52,  172,  175,  200,  217, 
228,  230,  234,  244,  246,  283, 
284,  285,  288 

Sendai  Christian  Orphanage,  264 

Servants,  156 

Seventh  Day  Adventists,  138 

Sewing,  209 

Shaka,  see  Sakya 

Shakespeare,  198 

Shima,  G.,  261 

Shimabara,  118 

Shin  Sect,  97,  104 

Shingon,  93,  113 

Shin  jo,  249 

Shinran,  97 

Shinto,  77,  78-85,  142 

Shirakawa,  142 

Shokei  Jogakko,  135 

Short  Term,  175 

Shotoku,  93 

Shrine,  80,  82 

Shrines,  Bureau  of,  83 


Index 


301 


Siberia,  18 

Silk,  31-33,  35 

Sin,  105 

Sitting,  169 

Snow,  17-20 

Snyder,  S.  S.,  195 

Social  Services,  1^3 

Sodo,  94,  143 

Soma,  see  Nakamura 

Sotello,  115 

Sower,  Parable  of,  281 

Soy,  29 

Spain,  1 13-8 

Specialists,  149 

Stereopticon,  226 

Street  Preaching,  225,  227,  282-3 

Strike,  275 

Students,  179,  193,  207,  217-8,  263 

Suffrage,  40,  68 

Sugai,  K.,  1 42 

Sugiyama,  M.,  231 

Suicide,  88,  105,  133 

Sukagawa,  39 

Sun,  80,  97 

Sunday,  60,  241 

Sunday  School,  239,  240-1 

Sunday  School,  Buddhist,  99,  263 

Sunday  School  Chapel,  253 

Superintendent,  248 

Surugadai  Cathedral,  120 

Suzuki-Bunji,  274-5 

Swander,  J.  I.,  187,  203 

Sword,  88 

Syllabary,  *i6i,  162 

Sympathy  Bag,  266 

Tadami,  173 

Tadami  River,  *i6 

Taguchi,  T.,  *i9i,  213 

Taira,  35,   224,   *252,   *268,   275 


Taiwan  (Formosa),  125 

Takada,  *8o,  174 

Takamine,  28 

Takayama,  181 

Tao,  78 

Tax,  176 

Tea,  167,  169 

Team  Work,  174,  178 

Teeth,  Blackened,  54 

Temple,  *8i,  100 

Tendai,  93 

Tennis,  213 

Tenrikyo,  84 

Tents,  226 

Terauchi,  Count,  79,  274 

Theatre,  233 

Theological  Seminary,  *i28,  187, 

191 
Thomas,  St.,  112 
Three  Religious  Conferences,  287 
Tidal  Waves,  21 
Tohoku,    15-24    28,   31,   3Sy   38, 

47,  115,  186,  191,257,  287 
Tohoku   Gakuin,    128,    129,    175, 

187-201,  216,  234,  270 
Tohoku  Mission,  129,  131,  174-7, 

218,    235-7,    241,    245,    247, 

253,  262,  287 

Tohoku  University,  276 

Tokonami,  286 

Tokugawa,  46,  114 

Tokwa  Gakko,  130 

Tokyo,  46,  56,  120,  139,  160,  263 

Tokyo  Classis,  247 

Transmigration,  91 

Travel,  168 

Treasurer  of  Mission,  175 

Trousers,  53 


302 


Index 


Truthfulness,  268,  282;  see  In- 
sincerity 

Tsuchida,  K.,  142.  252 

Tsugaru,  see  Hirosaki 

Tsurugaoka,  133,  236 

Tuberculosis,  70,  267 

Tuscarora  Depth,  21 

Typhoon,  20 

Uchida,  Mrs.  136 

Uchimura,  K.,  83,  223 

Uehara,  82 

Uemura,  M.,  *ii8,  126 

Uniform,  55,  71 

Unity,  Christian,  140 

University,    Christian,    177,    202 

University,  Imperial,  124 

Uragami,  118 

Ushizuka,  82 

Verbeck,  G.  F.,  123 

Virtues,  86 

Vitus,  St.,  loi 

Volcano,  20 

Wainright,  165 

Wakamatsu  (Aizu),  18,  20,  34,  38- 
9,  46,  *52,  70,  77,  102,  114, 
130-1,  138,  143,  166,  173, 
179,  217,  230,  232,  234,  239, 
242,  281 

Wani,  85 

Watari,  144 

Water,  51 

Way  (Religion),  79 

Wheat,  25 


Woman,  35-41,  *S3,  56-9,  66-7, 
88,  90,  202,  238,  276-7,  289 

Woman's  Missionary  Society,  127, 
206 

Woman's  Union  Mission,  125,  199, 
236 

Wrestling,  198 

Wynd,  W.,  136 

Xavier,  113 

Yamagata,  *8i,  138,  *i68,  179, 
215,  217,  230,  252,  *253,  254 

Yamagata  Ken,  248 

Yamaguchi,  142,  279 

Yamamuro,  G.,  *ii8,  140 

Yamanobe,  252 

Yamato,  23 

Yamazaki,  Evangelist,  130 

Yanaizu,  *i6 

Yokendo,  120 

Yokohama,  17,  47,  124-5 

Yonezawa,  217,  277 

Yoshida-Kametaro,  1 27,  223 

Yoshida-Kikutaro,  37,  253 

Yoshida-Tatsuo,  *i9i,  200 

Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, 197,  200,  217-8,  230,  290 

Young  People's  Society,  241 

Young  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, 37,  1 42,  214 

Yuaikwai,  274 

Zaugg,  E.  H.,  192 

Zen  Sects,  94 

Zinc,  *268 


GLOSSARY 


At,  love,  218  i« 

AmadOy  rain  door,  49 

BakurOy  jockey,  34 

Bateren,  Christian  priest,  117 

Bushidoy  warrior  way,  87 

ButsUy  buddha,  90 

But  Sudan  y  buddha  altar,  100 

ChOy  town,  street,  69 

Chokugo,  imperial  rescript,  73 

Chuy  loyalty,  218 

Chukwaiy  classis,  presbytery 

Dai,  great 

Daigaku,  great  learning,  advanc- 
ed instruction,  university 

Datkon,  giant  radish,  29 

Daikwaiy  great  assembly,  synod 

DaimyOy  great  name,  lord  of  the 
clan,  45 

DendOy  transmitting  the  way,  evan- 
gelization 

Dendokyokwaiy  mission  church,  243 

Dendoshay  evangelist,  236 

Dendofuy  mission  woman,  236 

Fujiriy  lady 

Fujinkwaiy  women's  society,   254 

Fukuiriy  gospel 

Futon y  comforter,  cushion,  49,  171, 
211 

GakkOy  school,  187 

Gakuiny  educational  institution, 
187 

Geisha,  accomplished  person,  danc- 
ing girl,  172,  276-7 


Geta,  clog,  54 

Giy  righteousness,  89 

Guny  district,  county,  68 

Habutae,  simple  silk  fabric,  2S 

Hammony  mental  anguish,  142 

Harakiriy  abdomen  slashing,  sui- 
cide, 133 

Hibachiy  fire  pot,  brazier,  5 1 , 1 69 

Higashiy  east 

Hikokiy  fly  go  machine,  aeroplane, 
162 

IchibanchOy  First  Street 

InkyOy  retirement  from  active  life, 
106 

JihOy  times  report,  newspaper 

Jinrikishay  man  power  wheel,  63, 
168 

Joteiy  supreme  ruler,  God,  85 

JujutsUy  wrestling,  jiujitsu,  198 

Kaigan,  seashore,  124 

Kaitakushay  pioneer,  2co 

Kamiy  god,  79 

Kamidanay  god  shelf,  domestic 
shrine 

Kaminariy  god  noise,  thunder,  161 

Kawa,   river 

Keny  prefecture,  province,  68,  248 

Kenjutsuy  swordsmanship,  fencing, 
198 

KimonOy  garment,  52,  169 

Kitay  north 

KogishOy  preaching  place,  235 

Koriy  telescope  of  basketware,  211 


303 


304 


Glossary 


Kororiy  public  discussion,  review, 
277 

KotatsUy  bed  warmer,  52 

Kyokwaiy  church,  124 

Machij  town,  street,  69 

Mikado,  august  gate,  Emperor,  46 

Minamiy  south 

Miso,  fermented  bean  mash,  29 

Miya,  shrine,  80 

Mochiy  paste  made  of  glutinous 
rice,  29 

MombushOy  Department  of  Educa- 
tion 

Mura,  group  of  villages,  commune, 
69 

Namu  Amida  ButsUy  Glory  to 
Amida,  the  Buddha,  98 

Namu  Myoho  RengekyOy  Glory  to 
the  Wonder-law,  the  Lotus- 
sutra,  96 

NibanchOy  Second  Street,  128 

NichiyOy  Sunday 

NichiyogakkOy  Sunday  School,  240 

Nihoriy  Japan,  124 

NippoTiy  same  as  Nihon 

Nishiy  west 

Obiy  belt,  sash,  girdle,  53 

OkUy  interior,  back  part,  115 

Oku  sariy  lady  of  the  house,  51 

Onnay  woman,  86 

Raiy  thunder,  161 

ROy  fireplace,  48 

Rodokwaiy  labor  association.  In- 
dustrial Home,  194-6 

SakCy  liquor  made  of  rice,  27,  29, 
65,  70,  172 

SambanchOy  Third  Street,  187 

Sambikuy  hymn  book,  141 

Samuraiy  knight,  46,  87 


Seikokwaiy   holy   catholic   church,        j 

137  I 

Seinendatiy  young  men's  associa-        ' 

tion,  231 
Sei7My  quiet  session,  95  I 

Shadatiy  corporation,  juridical  per-        j 

son,  175 
ShimpOy  news  report,  newspaper,       \ 

126  i 

Shirty  truth,  97;  new  {in  Shimpo);        i 

god  (in  Shingaku) 
Shingakuy  theology  ] 

ShingakkOy  theological  school  ' 

Shingakushay    theological    institu-        , 

tion,  126 
Shinjuy  double  suicide  of  lovers, 

Shoguny  general  of  the  army,  ty- 
coon, 46,  104,  115 
Shojiy  a  door  or  window  of  paper,       ^ 

49  i 

Shokonshay     soul     inviting     altar       ] 

shrine  to  the  departed,  82  ' 

Shokwaiy  consistory,  session 
Shoyuy  soy,  29 
Somukyokuy  general  business  board,      -j 

125,  127,  247 
Taikuny  great  lord,   tycoon,  she-       \ 

gun,  46  ' 

Tatamiy  floor  mat,  49,  237 
Teny  heaven,  85 
Teray  temple,  *8i,  100 
Tofuy  bean  curd,  29 
TomOy  friend,  companion,  218  \ 

Toriiy  portal  to  a  shrine,  *8o,  81 
Warajiy  straw  sandal,  e^^ 
Yamay  mountain 
YobanchOy  Fourth  Street 
Zoriy  sandal,  54 


BW8542  .N89 

Tohoku,  the  Scotland  of  Japan, 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00018  9250 


